Most Americans cannot name a single member of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) (according to a 2006 Findlaw.com survey), and in my experience (and yes, I’ve done pop quizzes) most law students cannot name all 9 members of the SCOTUS, which has actually become more difficult following the consistency of the Rehnquist Court.    So in an effort to help my students and with today’s swearing in of Elena Kagan, the current nine members of the Supreme Court are:

Chief Justice John Roberts, and Associate Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan.

But lists are boring so here are some predictions, some more bold than others:

(1) Justice Ginsburg’s seat will be the next vacancy on the Court.

(2) Scalia’s seat will be the next to open after Ginsburg’s, causing extensive media and public interest.

(3) Identity politics will continue to play a major role in the nomination process (first Asian-American on the Court?)…..

(4) …..But age (or, better stated, youth) will trump and the next nominee will be born in 1955 or later.

(5) We will see 4 woman on the Supreme Court no later than 2017.

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