Is Justice Stevens Planning to Retire?

An Associated Press story that United States Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has hired fewer law clerks than usual has set off waves of speculation that the Justice plans to retire when the Court completes its 2009 Term in June 2010. The AP story can be found here.

Justice Stevens would normally hire four law clerks for the Term of the Court which will begin in October 2010. He has hired only one. Retired Supreme Court Justices are entitled to hire one law clerk.