Final answer:
Justice Elena Kagan was appointed to the Supreme Court without prior judicial experience, which is permissible since there are no constitutional requirements for becoming a justice. Presidential nominations to the Court typically reflect the President's ideology, as seen with Obama's and Trump's appointments.
Step-by-step explanation:
Justice Elena Kagan did indeed not have any prior judicial experience before her appointment to the Supreme Court. This is not unusual, as there are no constitutional requirements for being a Supreme Court justice, such as previous judicial experience, age, or residency requirements. In fact, while most justices have been federal judges or have had extensive legal careers, the Constitution does not mandate it.
Presidential nominees to the Supreme Court typically share the President's ideological views, and lifetime appointments allow a President's influence to extend beyond their tenure. Obama's appointments of Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, both viewed as more liberal, contrast with President Trump's appointments of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, who are seen as conservatives, reflecting the ideological leanings of the presidents who appointed them.