Who Will Shumlin Appoint to the Vermont Supreme Court?

Just two years into his tenure, Gov. Peter Shumlin picked up a rare opportunity this week to select a second nominee to the Vermont Supreme Court.

And Justice Brian Burgess’ decision to retire this August may not be the last on Shumlin’s watch. Court-watchers (there ain’t that many in Vermont) say they expect another vacancy on the five-member court in the next few years — possibly Justice John Dooley, who is 69 and has served on the court since 1987.

At the very least, that means Shumlin’s imprint on the court might be here to stay for quite some time. Given that Burgess, who was appointed by Republican governor Jim Douglas in 2005, was one of the court’s more conservative members, it also means that whoever Shumlin picks could move an already liberal court even further to the left.

So who’s on the short list?