Judge these

Michael McConnell, 50: Former law professor at the University of Chicago and the University of Utah. Sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. Opposes abortion, supports school vouchers and aid to parochial schools.

Alberto Gonzales, 49: Current U.S. attorney general, former White House counsel to President Bush, general counsel to then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush, former Texas Supreme Court justice. Open-minded on affirmative action; criticized by liberals for denying Geneva Convention protections to suspected Taliban prisoners and by conservatives who question his stand on abortion.

Michael J. Luttig, 51: Served as White House assistant counsel for Reagan and in the Justice Department under the first President Bush. Sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. Supports states' rights and a ban on gays in the military; opposes abortion. Allowed Virginia ban on late-term abortion, which was invalidated by Supreme Court decision on similar ban.

John Roberts, 50: Former associate counsel to Reagan and deputy solicitor general for the elder Mr. Bush. Sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Opposes abortion, supports restrictions on environmental protections, and upheld the arrest of a 12-year-old for eating a french fry in a D.C. Metrorail station.

Emilio Garza, 58: Former Texas trial judge and U.S. District Court judge in the Western District of Texas. Sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. Struck down two Louisiana statutes that restricted abortion more than Roe and Casey allow.

Edith Hollan Jones, 56: Sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. Agreed with a decision to reject a suit brought by Roe's original plaintiff, Norma McCorvey, to reverse the 1973 Roe decision. A rumored candidate for the seat eventually filled by David Souter.

Theodore Olson, 64: Former 42nd U.S. solicitor general and assistant attorney general under Reagan. Represented George W. Bush in Bush v. Gore during 2000 election.

Larry B. Thompson, 59: Serves as general counsel for PepsiCo. Former deputy attorney general under George W. Bush, during which he led anti-terrorism efforts and worked to punish white-collar crime. Oversaw prosecutions of Enron officials.

J. Harvie Wilkinson III, 60: Served as a law professor at the University of Virginia and in the Justice Department under Reagan. Sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. Endorses abortion restrictions and sat on a panel that ruled citizens captured overseas in terror war can be detained without legal rights, which the Supreme Court overturned.

Edith Brown Clement, 57: Former judge on the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana. Sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. Somewhat of an unknown in judicial philosophy, though a good sign is that People for the American Way dislikes her.

Samuel Alito, 55: Former deputy assistant attorney general under Reagan and U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey. Sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. Ruled in favor of religious holiday displays on public property and argued unsuccessfully that married women should be required to inform their husbands before having abortions. Considered to be the most like conservative Justice Antonin Scalia.