Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan

President Obama nominates Elena Kagan for the Supreme Court. We look at her chances, and what it means for the court and the country.

President Obama’s second nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court is in the spotlight today.

U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan – fifty years old, former Harvard Law School dean — has never been a judge. She would be the third woman on the high court. She's a famous communicator and bridge-builder.

She's neither the most liberal nor most conservative on the president’s short list, and she's young enough to wrangle with the quite conservative leadership of Chief Justice John Roberts for a very long time.

This Hour, On Point: the President speaks, and nominates Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court.Guests:

Howard Fineman, senior Washington correspondent and columnist at Newsweek.

Mark Tushnet, constitutional scholar and professor at Harvard Law School. His new book is "Why the Constitution Matters."

David Stras, professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, where he also co-directs the Institute for Law and Politics.

Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor and legal correspondent for Slate.com.