ly ▁announ ce ▁S outer ' s ▁ret irement . ▁ ▁Short ▁list ▁Ob ama ▁began ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁ident ifying ▁potential ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁nom ine es ▁shortly ▁after ▁his ▁election ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁before ▁a ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁vac ancy ▁was ▁actually ▁known . ▁White ▁House ▁Coun sel ▁Greg ▁Craig ▁helped ▁assemble ▁an ▁early ▁list ▁of ▁possible ▁names . ▁Once ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁had ▁learned ▁of ▁S outer ' s ▁plans ▁to ▁ret ire , ▁two ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Vice ▁President ' s ▁staff , ▁Chief ▁of ▁Staff ▁Ron ▁K lain ▁and ▁Coun sel ▁C yn th ia ▁Hog an , ▁ran ▁the ▁daily ▁operations ▁of ▁the ▁selection ▁process . ▁ ▁Within ▁a ▁week ▁of ▁S outer ' s ▁announ cement ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁had ▁formal ized ▁its ▁short ▁list ▁of ▁candidates ▁to ▁replace ▁S outer , ▁with ▁Judge ▁Son ia ▁S ot om ay or ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Circ uit , ▁Judge ▁D iane ▁Pam ela ▁Wood ▁of ▁the ▁Se vent h ▁Circ uit , ▁and ▁Sol ic itor ▁General ▁El ena ▁K agan ▁reported ly ▁leading ▁cont enders ▁for ▁the ▁nom ination . ▁Hom eland ▁Security ▁Secretary ▁Jan et ▁Nap olit ano , ▁California ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁Justice ▁Carlos ▁Mor eno , ▁and ▁Michigan ▁Governor ▁Jenn ifer ▁Gran holm ▁were ▁also ▁reported ly ▁on ▁the ▁short ▁list ▁of ▁candidates ▁under ▁serious ▁consideration ▁by ▁the ▁White ▁House . ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁Le ah ▁Ward ▁S ears ▁of ▁the ▁Georgia ▁Supreme ▁Court , ▁Judge ▁M err ick ▁B . ▁Gar land