LOS ANGELES —The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) issued the following statement regarding news reports that Associate Justice David Souter will retire from the U.S. Supreme Court in June:

“NALEO urges President Barack Obama to use his first opportunity to place his mark on the U.S. Supreme Court by appointing a highly-qualified Latino or Latina. The nation’s highest court should reflect the full diversity of U.S. society, including Latinos, who are the nation’s second largest population group. In our nation’s history, no Latino has held a seat on the Supreme Court. There are many exemplary Latino jurists and legal scholars who are exceptionally qualified to serve on the Supreme Court, and we urge the President to appoint one of them to replace Justice Souter.”