Gov. Sonny Perdue says his Judicial Nominating Commission is accepting nominations to fill Leah Ward Sears' seat on the state's top court.

Members of the Georgia Bar and the public may submit nominations to former state Attorney General Michael Bowers, head of the 18-member commission.

The panel will select and recommend to Perdue a short list of up to five nominees.

Sears, the first black female to serve as the chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, is stepping down on June 30 after a long career on the bench. She was appointed to the Georgia Supreme Court in 1992 by then-Gov. Zell Miller.

Sears is being mentioned by some as a possible replacement for retiring justice David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court.