President Obama confirmed this afternoon that Supreme Court Justice David Souter informed him that he is retiring from the high court when its term ends in June.

Obama interrupted a news briefing by press secretary Robert Gibbs to make the announcement and praise Souter as a "fair-minded and independent judge." Obama said he will pick someone who understands justice is not just about some abstract legal theory.

The departure of Souter, who was appointed in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush, would cause the high court to lose a member of its liberal bloc. It would also give President Obama his first opportunity to name someone to the court. Obama has a keen interest in legal issues and formerly taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago and was president of the Harvard Law Review and former constitutional law professor.