Judge Robert Bork, best known for his contentious Supreme Court nomination battle, died Tuesday in Arlington, Va.

Bork was a former solicitor general, federal judge, and conservative legal theorist.

President Ronald Reagan nominated Bork to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1987. After a long confirmation battle led by left-leaning groups who opposed Bork's conservative judicial philosophy, his nomination was rejected by the Senate.

That sparked a political battle over judicial nominations.

Earlier this year, Bork served as the senior judicial adviser to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's presidential campaign

Judge Bork died from complications of heart disease. He was 85.