Senate approves Kagan as top U.S. courtroom lawyer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Elena Kagan, a former law school colleague of President Barack Obama, as U.S. solicitor general -- a post that will have her argue the government's position in cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The largely party-line vote was 61-31.

A former Clinton administration lawyer who's been the dean of Harvard Law School since 2003, Kagan is seen as a possible Obama nominee for any future opening on the high court.

Once sworn as U.S. solicitor general, Kagan will be the first woman to hold the job, according to a Justice Department official.

Kagan worked with Obama when both were on the University of Chicago Law School faculty in the 1990s. Obama announced his selection of her for solicitor general in January.

(Reporting by Thomas Ferraro; Editing by Sandra Maler)