Gov. Ed Rendell has announced that he intends to nominate Penn State Board of Trustees Chairwoman and Allegheny Common Pleas Judge Cynthia Baldwin to serve a two-year term on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, although the timeline for the nomination is still uncertain.

"She is a fine public servant who has proven to be a phenomenal jurist with a commitment to serving the people of Pennsylvania," said Rendell's spokeswoman, Kate Phillips.

The announcement came on Dec. 17, several weeks after state Supreme Court Justice Russell Nigro lost a retention election to determine whether he could serve another 10-year term. Because Nigro will not be retained on the bench, Rendell must nominate someone to replace him.

Nigro's term expired Jan. 3. Phillips said she is unsure how long it would be before Baldwin could be confirmed to fill his seat.

Baldwin, a Democrat, must be confirmed by a two-thirds vote of the state Senate, which is controlled by Republicans.

Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery and Bucks, who is the chairman of the Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee, said politics should not be an issue in Baldwin's confirmation hearings.

"It will be a review of her qualifications," Greenleaf said, adding that being a Democrat "won't have any impact on her chances at all."

Greenleaf said he is unsure when the official nomination will reach the committee.

Phillips said that Baldwin has a good chance of being confirmed.

"She has a great deal of respect in the Senate," Phillips said. "I don't think that she'll have any challenge."

Baldwin said she feels privileged to have been selected.

"I think it's a great honor to be nominated by our governor to serve on our state's highest court," she said. "I truly am looking forward to it."

Phillips said Rendell gained respect for Baldwin while working closely with her in the planning of Dickinson School of Law's development at University Park.

"She was an easy choice for the governor to make," Phillips said.

After her two-year term expires, Baldwin does not intend to run for another term, she said.

"I think this is a wonderful way for me to serve the people of Pennsylvania, and then I can go on and do some other things," she said.

At Penn State, Baldwin chairs the trustees, who determine Penn State's major goals, review and approve a budget and inform Pennsylvania's citizens about the university's performance.

Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon said Baldwin, who earned both her Bachelor of Arts in English and her master's in American literature at Penn State, plays an important role on the board.

"She leads the Board of Trustees in all their discussions and activities," Mahon said. "As the chairperson of the board, she is responsible for running the meetings."

Baldwin is involved in many other endeavors in addition to her roles as chairwoman and judge. She serves on several nonprofit boards and is also a member of the Duquesne University Board of Directors. Although she is involved in so much, she said she is confident that her role as a justice will not compromise any of her other responsibilities.

"I carry a full load of cases -- the same as all of my colleagues," she said. "I have done that for the first two years of being chair."

Baldwin added that she would not take on any new responsibilities if she thought they might interfere with her current duties.