Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement from the US Supreme Court will precipitate a cataclysmic political fight, as the departure of the long-serving swing justice will shift the panel's balance of power sharply to the right.
On a court divided evenly between four conservatives and four liberals, Kennedy held the decisive vote on a range of heated social issues. What's more, his idiosyncratic views shaped the legal terrain on which issues like abortion and gay rights are litigated in American courts. His retirement not only shifts the balance of power, but also the terms of the culture war.
Two candidates are currently leading the crop of potential nominees: Judges Amy Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh, both young jurists of high regard in the conservative legal establishment. President Donald Trump will announce his choice on July 9.
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