Advocacy groups push for gay high court candidate

Various and sundry advocacy groups are pushing for President Obama to put a second woman on the Supreme Court, or nominate the first Hispanic.

There's also an effort afoot to urge Obama to pick the first openly gay member on the high court, focusing on Kathleen Sullivan, who is believed to be on the president's consider list to replace retiring Justice David Souter. She is the former dean of Stanford law school who was a professor and graduate of Harvard law.

Equal Rep, a Boston-based grassroots group that lobbies for the appointment of gay candidates, is organizing a phone and email drive from May 20-22 on Sullivan's behalf.

"Kathleen Sullivan is hands down one of the most qualified candidates.  She is a Marshall scholar and former Stanford Law dean whom constitutional law legend Laurence Tribe once called 'the most extraordinary student I had ever had.' " Paul Sousa, Equal Rep founder, said in a statement.

"She is the author of the nation’s leading casebook in constitutional law, has litigated before the Supreme Court, and has been named one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America by the National Law Journal.  In addition to this impressive list of qualifications, Sullivan is also a woman and openly gay which would bring some much needed diversity to the Supreme Court."