Within the span of less than two years, two Supreme Court Justice spots have opened up. In today’s political landscape, the spotlight is being shone on who will be chosen as the next Supreme Court Justice. After 27 years of serving on the Supreme Court, Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement on January 27, 2022 by sending a letter to President Biden. The next day Biden and Breyer gathered at the White House to give final remarks. Breyer has been a Supreme Court Justice through multiple presidential administrations, as he was appointed in 1997 by 42nd President Bill Clinton. Prior to his appointment, Breyer served in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit. However, when Harry Blackmun retired in 1994, a spot on the prestigious Supreme Court opened up and soon after Breyer joined the court. Throughout his years, Breyer has believed that the Constitution should be interpreted through the lens of an ever changing society while still remembering the intentions that the Founding Fathers had for the country. He is one of the minorities in this belief, with the other current bench members being six conservative Justices and three liberal Justices. He has had the biggest impact in cases pertaining to the First Amendment, ruling anti-abortion laws in Nebraska and Louisiana as unconstitutional and questioning several death penalty cases. Breyer felt it was best to step down under the Biden administration to ensure Biden had time to nominate a judge. In September 2020, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away and former President Donald Trump had the chance to fill her spot with a conservative leaning judge, Amy Coney Barrett. When Breyer was speaking at the White House following his announcement, rather than focusing on himself, he focused on the future. “It is that next generation and the one after that. My grandchildren and their children. They will determine whether the experiment [U.S. Democracy] still works. And of course, I am an optimist, and I am pretty sure it will,” Breyer said. With Breyer resigning when the current court session is up in late June to early July, it gives President Joe Biden the opportunity to appoint a younger, liberal judge to the bench. While at the White House with Breyer, Biden said he would nominate a Black woman to the court. “The person I will nominate will be someone with extraordinary qualifications and character, experience, and integrity, and that person will be the first Black woman to be nominated on the state Supreme Court. It is long overdue in my opinion,” Biden said. One front runner for the spot is Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Jackson, 51, comes from a background of clerking for Breyer and holds a degree from Harvard University and Harvard Law School. She was promoted by Biden and became a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Another judge being considered is Justice Leondra Kruger, who has argued 12 cases in front of the Supreme Court.Kruger, 45, is a member of the California Supreme Court. She also served as Deputy Solicitor General during former President Barack Obama’s time in office. Another front runner is U.S. District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs. Childs, 55, is a judge on South Carolina’s federal court. In January of this year, Biden nominated her to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, however, the nomination is still pending. Until the end of February, no one is exactly sure who President Biden will nominate. All that people can do now is stay optimistic and remember all that Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer did during his 27 years on the bench.