Justice Anthony Kennedy's replacement should be young, conservative and swiftly confirmed President Donald Trump needs to nominate a judge with experience, and the Senate needs to do be fair and follow Trump's timeline.

Alberto R. Gonzales | Opinion contributor

Show Caption Hide Caption Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has delivered a retirement notice to President Trump, giving Trump a second Supreme Court nomination. Richard Wolf reports.

The announcement by Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy that he is retiring from the court places into clear focus one of a president’s most consequential decisions. Justice Kennedy has served with honor and distinction, leaving a legacy of decisions affecting such issues as gay and habeas rights, the death penalty and affirmative action.

During my days in the White House and at the Department of Justice we viewed Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Kennedy as the swing votes on a closely divided court. With the previous appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the Scalia vacancy, and now with a second vacancy, President Trump has the opportunity to appoint a justice who will almost certainly strengthen the conservative bloc of John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Gorsuch.

The White House has been waiting for this

Any competent White House plans for a court vacancy every June at the end of the court term, however unlikely depending on the circumstances. Given the ages of several of the current justices, this White House undoubtedly has been preparing for a likely vacancy at the end of the Court term.

The president has promised to nominate someone from a list that has been shared publicly. The individuals identified have solid conservative credentials; most have expressed the belief that the words of the Constitution and statutes be interpreted according to the text and that a judge's role is limited in our constitutional structure.

The president should nominate someone with a record of achievement and excellence in the profession that one would expect of a Supreme Court justice. The president is also likely to nominate someone between the ages of 45 and 55 years, someone old enough to have a record of accomplishments, yet young enough to serve on the court for a substantial number of years and influence the court’s jurisprudence over generations.

More: Supreme Court’s Janus v AFSCME ruling will force unions to be more accountable: Teacher

Donald Trump's 'travel ban' is still a 'Muslim ban' no matter what the Supreme Court ruled

Trump and Supreme Court trapped my Syrian relatives in hell, but I'll keep fighting travel ban

Democrats will resist

The president has indicated he wants Justice Kennedy’s replacement to be seated by the beginning of the Court’s October term. The Senate Majority leader has announced the Senate will hold hearings this year and expects the Senate to vote on the President’s nominee this fall.

This is an aggressive schedule that Democrats will no doubt resist. Members of the Senate of course should have time to evaluate the nominee’s record and to consult with the White House. I believe that the time table announced by the president and Senate majority leader should provide ample opportunity for the Senate to discharge its duty.

I urge the Senate to do its job fairly and expeditiously so that the Court is at full strength at the beginning of the next term. There are significant issues ranging from the scope of presidential power, liberty and privacy interests, and national security challenges that will dominate the court’s agenda for the foreseeable future. The president and the Senate have a solemn responsibility to work together to fill this vacancy on behalf of the American people and for generations to come.

Alberto R. Gonzales, former attorney general of the United States and counsel to the president in the George W. Bush administration, is the dean and Doyle Rogers Distinguished Professor of Law at Belmont University College of Law.