▁these ▁concerns ▁shift ed ▁from ▁ge ographic ▁representation ▁to ▁issues ▁of ▁gender ▁and ▁eth nic ity . ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁president ial ▁election , ▁many ▁court ▁watch ers ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁next ▁president ▁would ▁be ▁under ▁significant ▁pressure ▁to ▁appoint ▁another ▁woman ▁or ▁eth nic ▁minor ity ▁to ▁the ▁court . ▁The ▁calls ▁for ▁naming ▁more ▁women ▁were ▁particularly ▁w ides p read ▁given ▁the ▁recent ▁ret irement ▁of ▁Sand ra ▁Day ▁O ' Con nor ▁and ▁the ▁rapidly ▁changing ▁dem ograph ics ▁of ▁the ▁legal ▁community , ▁with ▁women ▁now ▁account ing ▁for ▁about ▁a ▁fifth ▁of ▁all ▁law ▁partners ▁and ▁law ▁school ▁de ans , ▁a ▁quarter ▁of ▁the ▁federal ▁ben ch , ▁and ▁nearly ▁half ▁of ▁all ▁law ▁school ▁gradu ates . ▁Short ly ▁before ▁the ▁election , ▁for ▁example , ▁N PR ▁reported , ▁" M ost ▁obser vers ▁of ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁agree ▁about ▁one ▁thing : ▁The ▁next ▁nom ine e ▁is ▁likely ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁woman ". ▁Furthermore , ▁after ▁Ob ama ' s ▁president ial ▁election ▁victory , ▁His pan ic ▁legal ▁interests ▁groups ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁His pan ic ▁National ▁Bar ▁Association ▁began ▁ur ging ▁Ob ama ▁to ▁nomin ate ▁a ▁His pan ic ▁justice . ▁ ▁Given ▁the ▁relative ▁youth ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁recent ▁Republican ▁appoint ments , ▁it ▁was ▁also ▁noted ▁that ▁Democr ats ▁had ▁" a ▁strong ▁in cent ive ▁to ▁pick ▁younger ▁just ices ▁this ▁time ▁around ". ▁Age ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁important