Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva intends to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court with Cristiano Zanin, the attorney who successfully defended him against graft allegations, according to Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco.

The communist leader would choose Zanin to succeed Justice Ricardo Lewandowski, who retired in April.

He would be Lula’s first nominee for the country’s top court since the president took office in January office for a third non-consecutive term in January.

Zanin failed to save Lula from a prison sentence but continued to argued against the conviction that was later annulled by the Supreme Court on a technicality.