Janet Napolitano
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has been mentioned as a possible replacement for outgoing Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, but it’s unclear if she has interest in the position.
“She is completely focused on the important and demanding position she currently has,” one Homeland Security official told Fox News.
Still, the official said, “Secretary Napolitano would be flattered if the President considered her.”
After news broke Friday that Stevens would be retiring this summer, President Obama told reporters that he sees the process of finding a replacement “among my most serious responsibilities.”
“While we cannot replace Justice Stevens’ experience or wisdom, I will seek someone in the coming weeks with similar qualities — an independent mind, a record of excellence and integrity, a fierce dedication to the rule of law, and a keen understanding of how the law affects the daily lives of the American people,” he said.
Napolitano has had a high-profile political career, but she has also had an extensive legal career. Before becoming Governor of Arizona and then joining the Obama administration, Napolitano served as Attorney General of Arizona and U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona.
In addition, Napolitano was a clerk for a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and she was a private lawyer in Phoenix, according to her official biography on the DHS website.
She received her law degree from the University of Virginia’s law school, after attending Santa Clara University and becoming the school’s first female valedictorian, the DHS website says.