Fellow law school deans embrace Kagan for court

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sixty-nine law school deans from around the country are endorsing Elena Kagan for the Supreme Court.

The deans are praising Kagan, herself a onetime dean of the Harvard Law School, saying she is superbly qualified.

In a letter to the chairman and top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the leading legal academics say Kagan has first-rate legal skills, a respected body of work on constitutional law, enormous intelligence, and a flair for forging coalitions.

The Judiciary panel is set to begin hearings on Kagan's nomination on June 28. She's drawn praise from liberals and a handful of conservatives, including Miguel Estrada, a failed federal appeals court nominee chosen by former President George W. Bush.