At least four potential picks for Supreme Court have Tar Heel ties.

Although President Obama has not compiled a short list for the replacement for retiring Justice David Souter, that hasn't stopped observers from speculating.

Here are four who have some ties to North Carolina: 

* Patricia Timmons-Goodson. N.C. Ties: Earned bachelor's and law degree at UNC-Chapel Hill. Qualification: Justice on the N.C. Supreme Court since 2006, former prosecutor and Distirct Court judge. Mentioned by: ScotusBlog.

* Teresa Wynn Roseborough. N.C. Ties: Graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill law school in 1986, edited the N.C. Law Review. Qualification: Former deputy assistant attorney general under President Clinton. Mentioned by: Huffington Post

* Johnnie B. Rawlinson. N.C. Ties: Earned bachelor's at N.C. A&T State University. Qualification: Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit since 2000. Mentioned by: Associated Press.

* Virginia Seitz. N.C. Ties: Earned bachelor's degree from Duke University. Qualification: Has argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Mentioned by: Legal Times.