▁consideration ▁for ▁Ob ama , ▁who ▁was ▁" looking ▁for ▁a ▁justice ▁who ▁will ▁be ▁an ▁intellectual ▁force ▁on ▁the ▁court ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁to ▁come ". ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁Ob ama ▁did ▁not ▁seriously ▁consider ▁candidates ▁such ▁as ▁Jose ▁Cab ran es , ▁Am al ya ▁K ear se , ▁D iana ▁G rib bon ▁Mot z , ▁David ▁T atel , ▁and ▁Laur ence ▁Tri be , ▁all ▁of ▁whom ▁he ▁respect ed ▁but ▁were ▁older ▁than ▁ 6 5 ▁when ▁Ob ama ▁was ▁looking ▁to ▁replace ▁David ▁S outer . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁ret irement ▁of ▁Justice ▁Stevens , ▁some ▁comment ators ▁directed ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁religious ▁make - up ▁of ▁the ▁court . ▁Upon ▁Justice ▁Stevens ' ▁ret irement , ▁the ▁Court ▁lack ed ▁any ▁Protest ant ▁members , ▁mark ing ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁its ▁history ▁that ▁it ▁will ▁be ▁exclus ively ▁composed ▁of ▁Jewish ▁and ▁Catholic ▁Just ices . ▁ ▁Son ia ▁S ot om ay or ▁nom ination ▁ ▁On ▁May ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁Ob ama ▁announced ▁Second ▁Circ uit ▁appe als ▁court ▁judge ▁Son ia ▁S ot om ay or ▁as ▁his ▁choice ▁to ▁replace ▁ret iring ▁Associ ate ▁Justice ▁David ▁H . ▁S outer . ▁S ot om ay or ' s ▁nom ination ▁was ▁submitted ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Senate ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁when ▁the ▁ 1 1 1 th ▁Congress ▁recon ven ed ▁after ▁its ▁Memorial