Justice David H. Souter, the Republican-appointed New England jurist who has become a reliable member of the liberal bloc on the U.S. Supreme Court, has told friends that he plans to retire, according to a government official.

Court spokeswoman Kathleen L. Arberg said Thursday night that Souter had no comment following reports that he plans to step down at the end of the court's term in June. Souter would be likely to stay on until a replacement could be confirmed. The court's next term starts in October.

Souter's colleagues on the bench have been trying to talk him out of retiring, according to a source close to the court.

A vacancy would give President Obama his first chance to begin reshaping the court but would not likely change the dynamic on a bench that is often evenly split between the liberal and conservative blocs, with moderate conservative Justice Anthony M. Kennedy often holding the pivotal role.

Although Obama's choice would probably be far different from the 69-year-old intellectual bachelor from New Hampshire, the replacement would almost surely have a similar ideological outlook. Most court observers also believe Obama would be likely to choose a woman as his first appointment, since Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the lone female among the nine justices.