Souter often sided with the court's liberal faction, and Sotomayor is expected to largely follow in his footsteps.

VOA: standard.2009.10.05

The appointing president had been assured of Souter's credentials by the White House chief of staff, John Sununu, who had known Souter as a conservative member of the New Hampshire Supreme Court when Sununu was that state's Republican governor.

NPR: Supreme Court Justice Souter To Retire

Souter's departure will leave the two oldest justices -- and the most liberal -- still on the bench.

CNN: Souter news sets off succession speculation

There are plenty of reasons to think that Mr Souter's strategy is as crumpled as his sports jackets.

ECONOMIST: Transport