Justice Elena Kagan

Justice Elena Kagan is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, appointed by Barack Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate in 2010. She is the fourth female justice in the history of the Supreme Court of the United States, following Sandra Day O'Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Sonia Sotomayor. Kagan's nomination was supported by the American Bar Association, the National Association of Women Judges, and the National Organization for Women. Her confirmation hearing was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Patrick Leahy.

● Early Life and Education

Elena Kagan was born in New York City, New York, to Robert Kagan, a lawyer, and Gloria Gittelman Kagan, a teacher at Hunter College High School. She grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her two brothers, Robert Kagan and Frederick Kagan, who are both foreign policy experts. Kagan attended Hunter College High School, where she was the student body president, and later enrolled at Princeton University, where she studied history and was a member of the Princeton University Debate Panel. She graduated from Princeton University in 1981 and was awarded the Daniel M. Sachs Class of 1960 Graduating Scholarship to study philosophy, politics, and economics at Worcester College, Oxford. Kagan then attended Harvard Law School, where she was a Supreme Court editor of the Harvard Law Review and graduated magna cum laude in 1986.

● Career

After law school, Kagan clerked for Judge Abner Mikva of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and later for Justice Thurgood Marshall of the Supreme Court of the United States. She then worked as a law professor at the University of Chicago Law School and later at Harvard Law School, where she became the first female dean in 2003. During her tenure as dean, Kagan increased the size of the faculty, expanded the school's clinical programs, and launched new academic programs in international law and tax law. She also taught constitutional law and administrative law at Harvard Law School and was a visiting professor at New York University School of Law.

● Judicial Career

Before joining the Supreme Court of the United States, Kagan served as the Solicitor General of the United States, appointed by Barack Obama in 2009. As Solicitor General, she argued several cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, including United States v. Stevens and Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project. Kagan's experience as Solicitor General and her background as a law professor and dean of Harvard Law School made her a strong candidate for the Supreme Court of the United States.

● Supreme Court

Justice Kagan was nominated to the Supreme Court of the United States by Barack Obama on May 10, 2010, to replace the retiring Justice John Paul Stevens. Her nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 5, 2010, with a vote of 63-37. Kagan was sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States on August 7, 2010, by Chief Justice John Roberts. She has since participated in several notable cases, including National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius and United States v. Windsor.

● Notable Opinions and Cases

Kagan has written several notable opinions, including her dissent in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., where she argued that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act did not permit for-profit corporations to deny contraception coverage to their employees. She also wrote the majority opinion in Kimble v. Marvel Entertainment, LLC, which held that a patent holder cannot claim royalties after the patent has expired. Kagan has also participated in cases related to same-sex marriage, including Obergefell v. Hodges, and affirmative action, including Fisher v. University of Texas.

● Personal Life

Kagan is known for her liberal views and her commitment to social justice. She has been a strong advocate for women's rights and LGBT rights, and has participated in several cases related to these issues, including United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges. Kagan is also a Red Sox fan and has been known to attend Boston Red Sox games at Fenway Park. She has never married and does not have any children, but is close to her brothers, Robert Kagan and Frederick Kagan, and her nieces and nephews. Category:Supreme Court of the United States