Sen. Amy Klobuchar will argue that Solicitor General Elana Kagan has the experience to be a successful Supreme Court Justice despite never having served as a judge, according to an advance copy of her opening statement for Kagan's confirmation hearing, which begins today.

Republicans have attacked Kagan — and Klobuchar's statements — for her lack of judicial experience, but Klobuchar will highlight the fact that more than one-third of Justices had not previously been a judge.

"There are always a lot of critics on the sidelines, but you have actually been in the arena, as a manager, as a teacher, as an advisor, as a consensus-builder and as a lawyer," Klobuchar will say. "Your work on the front lines tells me that you have practical experience thinking about the impact of laws and policies on the lives of ordinary Americans."

Throughout her remarks, Klobuchar — who was on many pundits' medium-sized list of potential nominees — returns to the theme that Kagan's experience as a law professor will allow her to see nuance from both sides of an issue amidst a divided court.

"You understand how law school allows students to dig deep into the details of a case and to see the shades of gray," she says. "Those of us in Congress would do well to recall the spirit of law school more frequently, to remember a time when it was our job to think through both sides of an argument and to give credence to the legitimate points for the other side."

Klobuchar also emphasizes Kagan's "real world" perspective of ordinary citizens: "I'd like to see a Supreme Court Justice who is able to go into the back room where the Justices meet — and when no 'ordinary citizens' are present — and bring some real-world perspective to the room."

Klobuchar and Sen. Al Franken, both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, will deliver their opening remarks today, day one of four scheduled for Kagan's confirmation hearing.

Franken is expected use the Kagan confirmation to attack what he terms "conservative judicial activism," building on a speech he gave earlier this month to the American Constitutional Society.