New Solicitor General in Line for High Court

Elena Kagan became America's first female solicitor general yesterday, putting her one step closer to a possible Supreme Court nomination, the AP reports. As the so-called "10th Supreme Court justice," Kagan will effectively audition for the high court if she argues a Voting Rights Act case next month. Justices will also routinely ask Kagan's opinion on cases before taking them up.

Kagan has never argued before the high court, but she has relationships with several justices from her days as dean of Harvard Law School. Her center-left views and history of bridging the gap with conservatives make her a likely choice—if a justice steps down during Obama's presidency. “We probably will not be able to stop someone like that,” one conservative activist said. (More US Supreme Court stories.)