Who could be up for next Supreme Court vacancy?
-- Speculation about a new Supreme Court justice is notoriously inaccurate, especially before an election and when there is no court vacancy. But here are a few key figures in the law who, because of their backgrounds and ages, could be in the mix:
For McCain:
•Paul Clement, 42, former U.S. solicitor general, now teaches at Georgetown University law school.
• Deborah Cook, 56, Akron-based judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.
•Maureen Mahoney, 54, Washington lawyer with an active Supreme Court practice.
• Michael McConnell, 53, Salt Lake City-based judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.
•Diane Sykes, 51, Milwaukee-based judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit.
•Larry Thompson, 62, former deputy U.S. attorney general, now vice president and general counsel for PepsiCo.
For Obama:
•Elena Kagan, 48, dean of Harvard law school.
•Harold Hongju Koh, 54, dean of Yale law school.
•Deval Patrick, 52, former assistant U.S. attorney general, now Massachusetts governor.
• Sonia Sotomayor, 54, judge on the New York-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit.
•Cass Sunstein, 54, Harvard law professor.
•Diane Wood, 58, Chicago-based judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit.
By Joan Biskupic