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Bench Press - Since the death of Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia, the political world has been abuzz over who President Obama will nominate to be his successor on the highest court in the land. Republicans are spoiling for a fight, probably because they know that the President will want to replace the ultra-conservative Scalia with someone more progressive. Here are eight candidates — all of them women and minorities — who we think would make great Justices.(Photo: Shawn Thew - Pool/Getty Images)

Photo By Shawn Thew - Pool/Getty Images

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Srikanth Srinivasan, 48 - Born in India but a rising star in US politics, Srinivasan is considered to be the favorite as a possible replacement for the late Justice Scalia. When Srinivasan was nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C., President Obama described him as “a highly-respected appellate advocate who has spent a distinguished career litigating before the U.S. Supreme Court.” He has major G.O.P. cred, too: his appointment was confirmed to the D.C. circuit on a 97-0 vote, including "yeas" from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican Presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Paul Watford, 48 - Watford’s named arose as a possible candidate immediately, with SCOTUSblog.com calling him “the most likely nominee to replace Antonin Scalia.” The United States Circuit Judge has authored or edited close to twenty briefs prepared for the Supreme Court. He also serves as treasurer and board member of Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, a nonprofit that provides pro bono legal services to the Los Angeles’ poor.(Photo: Bill Clark/Getty Images)

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Patricia Ann Millett, 52 - Millet is another promising possibility. She is a judge of the United States Court Of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and formerly ran the Supreme Court practice at the prestigious and powerful Akin Gump Hauer & Feld firm. At the time of her confirmation to the D.C. Circuit, Millet had argued 32 cases before the Supreme Court. (Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

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Loretta Lynch, 56 - The current Attorney General for the United States, Lynch is an obvious name to be considered for filling the empty seat. A graduate of Harvard Law School, she began by practicing law in the state of New York before becoming a federal prosecutor. When President Obama nominated her as the new Attorney General, the Judiciary Committee voted 12-8, with all Democrats, and three Republicans voting in favor. Lynch was then confirmed, and became the first Black woman to hold the prestigious position.(Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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Jacqueline Nguyen, 51 - A Circuit Judge for the US Court of Appeals, Nguyen has worked in many different fields of law. She began as a civil litigator, focusing on commercial disputes and intellectual property. She went on to serve as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California and then joined the Attorney’s office in its Public Corruption and Government Fraud section. In 2011 Obama nominated Nguyen to the United Court of Appeals for the Ninth circuit and she was confirmed on a 91-3 vote. She is the first Asian-American female to service as a federal appellate judge.(Photo: Jacqueline Nguyen via Facebook)

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Kamala D. Harris, 51 - Harris has served as the Attorney General of California since 2011. The half-Indian, half-Black lawyer is the first female, the first Black, and the first Asian-American attorney general for the state. Harris is currently running to fill Barbara Boxer’s empty seat in the U.S. Senate, but would undoubtedly suspend her campaign to fill the empty seat in the United States Supreme Court.(Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Children's Defense Fund)

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Deval Patrick, 59 - Patrick and Obama's connection dates back to Obama's first term campaign in 2008, which was patterned after the 59-year-old's 2006 gubernatorial "Together We Can" campaign. He and Obama also shared key advisers, with Patrick vigorously campaigning for Obama in his 212 re-relection effort. Since then, his name has been brought up for several political positions, including Supreme Court, attorney general, and even a possible 2016 presidential or vice presidential candidate. Patrick is no stranger to this particular circuit, as he served in the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division under President Clinton and went on to serve as a private civil rights attorney, where he advised corporate clients.(Photo: Paul Marotta/Getty Images)

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Alison Nathan, 43 - Before being nominatied to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in 2011, Nathan served as a special assistant to President Obama from 2009 to 2010. She also served as Associate White House Counsel during that period. From 2010, she also worked as the Attorney General of New York as a special counsel to the state's Solicitor General. Nathan is also a part of the LGBT community, as she has been with her partner, Margaret Satterthwaite, for years. The couple are the parents to twin sons.(Photo: Alison Nathan via Facebook)