Washington, D.C.-based boosters of Judge Brett Kavanaugh have begun building a coalition of lawyers, including former law clerks and law students, to support his confirmation effort if President Donald Trump taps him next week as his U.S. Supreme Court nominee.

Trump said he expects to name his selection to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy on July 9. Kavanaugh, who sits on U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, is among the front-runners, and his former clerks and friends in Washington are wasting no time getting ready.