By Thomas Ferraro
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan faced tough criticism from Republicans at the opening of her Senate confirmation hearing on Monday, but President Barack Obama's pick is expected to win bipartisan approval for the lifetime job.
Kagan, a member of the past two Democratic administrations who has been accused by Republicans of being driven by politics, said she is dedicated to equal justice under the law.
If confirmed, Kagan said, "I will work hard and I will do my best to consider every case impartially, modestly, with commitment to principle, and in accordance with law," in remarks prepared for delivery at the opening of her nationally broadcast hearing before the Senate Judiciary.
With both parties jockeying for position ahead of the November congressional elections, Republican critics have sought to portray Kagan as someone who places her opinions above the law.
Democrats countered by painting the Supreme Court's conservative majority -- led by Chief Justice John Roberts, an appointee of former Republican President George W. Bush -- of favouring corporations over ordinary Americans.
Senator Jeff Sessions, the panel's top Republican, ripped into Kagan for seeking to become the first new member of the Supreme Court in nearly 40 years who has never been a judge.
"Ms. Kagan certainly has numerous talents and good qualities, but there are serious concerns about this nomination," Sessions said.
"Ms. Kagan has less real legal experience of any nominee in at least fifty years. It's not just that she has never been a judge," Sessions said. "She has barely practiced law, and not with the intensity and duration from which real understanding occurs."
Kagan, 50, will also face hostile questions from Republicans about why she temporarily restricted access to her campus by military recruiters after she became the first woman dean at Harvard law school in 2003. She opposed the military's ban against gays serving openly in its ranks.
"THIN GRUEL"
Democrats need only a simple majority of the Senate to confirm Kagan and she looks likely to get those votes, barring any bombshells or major gaffes during her hearings.
Republicans have made it clear that while they see Kagan as a liberal, they don't believe she's far enough outside the judicial mainstream to merit a procedural roadblock that would take 60 votes to clear in the 100-member Senate.
A final decision will be made after the hearing.
If confirmed, Kagan would be Obama's second high-court appointee, following Sonia Sotomayor, who won Senate confirmation last year with the help of nine Republicans in a 68-31 vote, becoming the first Hispanic U.S. Supreme Court justice.
"She will be confirmed," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy said on ABC's "Good Morning America" early on Monday. "How many votes I don't know (but) she will get a whole lot of votes," Leahy added.
The first day of the hearing was to be dominated by opening statements by Kagan and the committee's 19 senators -- 12 Democrats and seven Republicans. Kagan will begin at least two days of answering questions on Tuesday.
"As I examine some of the arguments that have been floated against her nomination over the last several weeks, it's pretty thin gruel," Obama said on Sunday.
Last week, the American Bar Association, a leading organisation of lawyers, gave Kagan its top rating of "well qualified" for the Supreme Court.
(Editing by Vicki Allen)
