Makeup Of The Supreme Court Clinton's Choice: Ruth Bader Ginsburg

THE LIBERALS

Justice Harry A. Blackmun

Age: 84

Appointed by Richard Nixon, 1970.

Began as moderate, steadily more liberal. Wrote

first abortion ruling, in 1973.

Likely to retire next year.

Justice John Paul Stevens

Age: 73

Appointed by Gerald Ford, 1975.

Independent, sometimes maverick, mostly liberal.

Justice David H. Souter

Age: 53

Appointed by George Bush, 1990.

Began as conservative, now the most liberal of centrists.

Main intellectual rival to Justice Scalia.

Justice nominee Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Age: 60

Just nominated by Bill Clinton.

Maybe most important women's rights lawyer in

U.S. history before becoming federal appeals

judge 13 years ago.

Moderate as a jurist, but definitely more liberal than

justice she would replace, Byron R. White, 76.

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

Age: 63

Appointed by Ronald Reagan, 1981, first woman

ever to serve on the court.

Began as conservative, remains moderate, tends

to be liberal on women's rights.

Leader of the centrists.

Anthony M. Kennedy

Age: 56

Appointed by Ronald Reagan, 1988.

Most conservative of the centrists, but becoming

more moderate on many issues. Switched sides

on abortion decision in 1992.

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist

Age: 68

Appointed by Richard Nixon as justice in 1971,

promoted to chief justice by Ronald Reagan in 1986.

More conservative before becoming chief justice, but

remains predominantly on the court's right wing.

Justice Clarence Thomas

Age: 45

Appointed by George Bush in 1991.

Votes conservative almost always, tends to

follow lead of Justice Scalia.

Justice Antonin Scalia

Age: 57

Appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1986.

Conservative leader, has fully developed

judicial theory of conservatism and

almost never deviates.

Best writer on court, but given to harsh public criticism of colleagues.