US / Anthony Kennedy Anthony Kennedy Retiring From Supreme Court President Trump will get a second SCOTUS pick By Evann Gastaldo, Newser Staff Posted Jun 27, 2018 1:24 PM CDT Copied In this Oct. 3, 2013, file photo, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy speaks to faculty members at the University of Pennsylvania law school in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File) As has long been rumored, Justice Anthony Kennedy is retiring from the Supreme Court on July 31. The 81-year-old holds what USA Today calls the most important seat on the high court, having been its swing vote on many issues for more than a decade. A Reagan-appointed conservative-leaning or moderate justice, he often sides with the more liberal justices on key issues. With his retirement President Trump and Senate Republicans will have the opportunity to replace him with a staunch conservative, thus likely ensuring the court will remain solidly conservative for decades. (More Anthony Kennedy stories.) Get breaking news in your inbox. What you need to know, as soon as we know it. Sign up Report an error