Gov. Jerry Brown nominated a Mexican-born Stanford law professor on Tuesday to the California Supreme Court, continuing a trend to diversify and shift one of the most influential courts in the country to the left.

Brown nominated Mariano-Florentino Cuellar, 41, to be an associate justice of the state's highest court. If approved, the registered Democrat would fill a vacancy created by the retirement in January of conservative Justice Marvin Baxter.

"Tino Cuellar is a renowned scholar who has served two presidents and made significant contributions to both political science and the law," Brown said in a statement. "His vast knowledge and even temperament will — without question — add further luster to our highest court."

It's Brown's second nomination since returning to the governor's office. In 2011, he filled a vacancy by appointing University of California, Berkeley, law professor Goodwin Liu to the California Supreme Court after Senate Republicans blocked his nomination to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.