A lot of people influenced my decision to become an immigration lawyer nearly two decades ago, but one person that certainly deserves mention is Judge Diane Wood. I first took her international trade law class at the University of Chicago and it turned out to be my best grade in law school. I then did an independent study with Professor Wood and wrote about the integration of the European legal profession, a topic that introduced me to the subject of employment immigration law.

Five years after I graduated U of C, Professor Wood was appointed by President Clinton to serve on the US Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and has distinguished herself over the years as one of the country's leading judicial thinkers. Interestingly, she is best known for her decision in the Nazarova deportation case where she ruled that an immigration judge was out of bounds when he ordered a woman deported because her interpreter showed up late for her hearing.

The New York Times has a great article on Judge Wood this morning explaining why she has emerged as a leading candidate to fill the Souter seat on the US Supreme Court. Professor Wood would be a sensational choice and I hope President Obama gives serious thought to appointing his former faculty colleague.