Elena Kagan

Details

Birth

April 8, 1960 · New York, New York

Death

Living

Law school

harvard university

Prior experience

Various legal and public service prior to appointment

Biography

Elena Kagan (born April 28, 1960) is an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010. Born in New York City to a Jewish family, Kagan graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1981, earned a Master of Philosophy from Oxford University as a Worcester College student, and received her Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1986, where she served as supervising editor of the Harvard Law Review. After clerking for Judge Abner Mikva and Justice Thurgood Marshall, she worked in private practice before entering academia and government service. Kagan's path to the Supreme Court included tenure as a law professor at the University of Chicago and Harvard Law School, where she became the first female dean of Harvard Law School in 2003. She served in the Clinton administration as Associate White House Counsel and Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy. Obama appointed her as the first female Solicitor General in 2009, where she argued six cases before the Supreme Court. Her nomination to replace Justice John Paul Stevens was confirmed by the Senate 63-37 in August 2010, making her the fourth woman to serve on the Court. Kagan is generally considered part of the Court's liberal wing, often joining Justices Breyer, Sotomayor, and formerly Ginsburg in dissent during the conservative majority era. Her judicial philosophy emphasizes pragmatic reasoning and democratic accountability. Notable opinions include her majority opinion in Cooper v. Harris (2017) on racial gerrymandering and her dissent in Janus v. AFSCME (2018) defending public sector union rights. Known for her sharp questioning during oral arguments and clear writing style, Kagan has established herself as an influential voice on the contemporary Court.

Notable opinions

• National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius
• Rucho v. Common Cause