Elena Kagan vowed Monday that if she was confirmed to the Supreme Court, her approach to judging would be "a modest one" that was "properly deferential" to Congress and the president -- remarks intended to quell Republican criticism that she is a partisan who would use the court as an instrument to advance a Democratic agenda.

Addressing senators on the first day of her confirmation hearings, Ms. Kagan, the solicitor general and former dean of the Harvard Law School, was cautious and measured in her opening remarks. She pledged "even-handedness and impartiality" and promised "a fair shake" for Americans who come before the high court.

Read the entire New York Times article here.