President Obama will announce his pick to replace retiring Justice David Souter today at 10:15 Eastern. Souter, an appointee of George H.W. Bush, will retire at the end of this term.

His seat will be filled, the Senate willing, by Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who has served on the New York-based United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit since 1998. Like Souter, interestingly, she was appointed to her current seat by the first President Bush.

From her Times bio:

On the district court bench, Judge Sotomayor earned a reputation as a sharp, outspoken and fearless jurist, someone who does not let powerful interests bully, rush or cow her into a decision. "She does not have much patience for people trying to snow her," said one lawyer in 1995, who had cases pending before the judge and asked not to be identified. "You can't do it."

While still in her 30s, Judge Sotomayor became the youngest judge in the Southern District of New York. She was the first American of Puerto Rican descent to be appointed to the Federal bench in New York City.

All in all, a solid choice, but expect shrieking from the usual suspects. Apparently, Sotomayor has handed down decisions and made arguments that betray a belief in affirmative action.

Update: The President with Judge Sotomayor at the White House, via the incredibly cool White House Flickr page.