The US Senate confirmed 50-year-old Elena Kagan as the Supreme Court's 112th justice and fourth woman, selecting a scholar with a reputation for brilliance, a dry sense of humor and a liberal legal bent.
The vote was 63-37 for President Barack Obama's nominee to succeed retired Justice John Paul Stevens.
Kagan, who was officially sworn in at the Supreme Court on Saturday, promising to "faithfully and impartially" discharge her new judicial duties, became the third sitting justice who is Jewish, a historic first.
She is the first Supreme Court nominee in nearly 40 years with no experience as a judge, and her swearing-in will mark the first time in history that three women will serve together on the nine-member court, where justices often serve for life.
In a statement, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) congratulated Kagan, a Jewish law professor who studied at Harvard Law School.
"We extend our congratulations and best wishes to Solicitor General Elena Kagan on her confirmation as the 112th Supreme Court Justice and the fourth woman to sit on the high court. Ms. Kagan is well qualified and we are confident that she will serve with distinction as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. We commend the President and the US Senate for choosing and supporting her," it said.