Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Maria Sotomayor
On August 8, 2009, Latinos in America had something to celebrate. For the first time in history a Latina took the judicial oath and was sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice. Sonia Sotomayor, a Bronx native of Puerto Rican descent, became the first Hispanic to become an Associate Justice and only the third woman to hold this position.
Justice Sotomayor was born in Bronx, New York, on June 25, 1954. Her father, a factory worker, died when she was nine, and she was subsequently raised by her mother, a nurse, in a housing project in the South Bronx. From these humble beginnings, Sotomayor graduated as valedictorian of her class at Cardinal Spellman High School in New York. Many who know her credit her perseverance, work ethic, and commitment toward helping others as the qualities that helped her overcome obstacles and launch her successful career.
Sotomayor attended Princeton University. At the time, she was one of the few Latinas who attended this Ivy League University. She earned a B.A. in 1976 graduating summa cum laude. She went on to earn a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1979, where she was an editor at the prestigious Yale Law Journal.
She served as Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office from 1979-1984. At this post, she fought for rights of minorities and equal opportunity for all people. She played an active role on the boards of directors for the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, the State of New York Mortgage Agency, and the New York City Campaign Finance Board.
In 1991, President George H.W. Bush nominated her to the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, and she served in that role from 1992-1998.
In 1997, she was nominated by President Bill Clinton to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and confirmed in 1998. On the Second Circuit, Sotomayor heard appeals in more than 3,000 cases and wrote nearly 380 opinions between 1998 and 2009.
In May, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court replacing retired Justice David Souter. President Obama has praised Sotomayor for her keen awareness of the law’s impact on everyday life and the real-world implications of her rulings.
Her nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by a vote of 68–31 and she officially joined the court on August 8, 2009.
Justice Sotomayor’s record shows her commitment to creating a more equal and just society. She has devoted her life to ensuring that other people have access to more opportunities. Thanks to her work, working families can live better and can see their dreams come true.
For her achievements and for her hard work towards helping working Americans, this week we pay tribute to Justice Sotomayor, an exemplary Latina.
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