Amul Thapar, an Indian-American legal luminary, is among the 25 shortlisted judges US President Donald Trump could nominate to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, according to American media reports.


Justice Kennedy, 81, announced his retirement from the US Supreme Court yesterday. He met Trump at the White House last afternoon soon after he told his colleagues in the Supreme Court that July 31 would be his last day at the apex court. Thapar, 49, is one of the 25 shortlisted judges on Trump's Supreme Court List. Trump told reporters that his nominee to replace Judge Kennedy would be from this list compiled by the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society.


Multiple American media outlets later identified Thapar from Kentucky as one among the shortlisted judges. Last year, Trump appointed Thapar, who sits on the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals and a former United States Attorney, for the District of Kentucky and District Judge.


The son of Indian-American immigrants, Thapar is the Nation's first Article III judge of South Asian descent. He was confirmed by the Senate 52-44. -- PTI