Sonia Sotomayor: The First Hispanic Justice on the Supreme Court

Early Life and Education

Sonia Sotomayor was born in the Bronx, New York, on June 25, 1954. Her parents were Puerto Rican immigrants, and she grew up in a working-class neighborhood. Sotomayor attended Cardinal Spellman High School, a Catholic girls' school in the Bronx, and then went on to study at Princeton University, where she earned a B.A. in politics in 1976. She then attended Yale Law School, where she graduated magna cum laude in 1979.

Legal Career

After graduating from law school, Sotomayor clerked for Judge Robert W. Sweet of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She then worked as an assistant district attorney in the New York County District Attorney's Office, where she prosecuted a variety of criminal cases. In 1991, Sotomayor was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by President George H.W. Bush. She served on the district court for 11 years, during which time she presided over a number of high-profile cases.

In 2009, Sotomayor was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama. She was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 68-31, and she was sworn in on August 8, 2009. Sotomayor is the first Hispanic justice to serve on the Supreme Court.

Judicial Philosophy

Sotomayor is a liberal justice, and she is known for her commitment to social justice. She has written several opinions that have been praised by liberals and criticized by conservatives. In 2016, she wrote the majority opinion in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, which upheld the use of affirmative action in college admissions. In 2018, she wrote the majority opinion in Janus v. AFSCME, which struck down mandatory union fees for public employees. She has also written several notable dissenting opinions, including her dissent in Shelby County v. Holder, which struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Personal Life

Sotomayor is married to Peter Ludlow, a lawyer whom she met while they were both students at Yale Law School. She is the only current Supreme Court justice who is not a Catholic.

Sotomayor is a role model for many young people, especially Latinas. She is a reminder that anything is possible with hard work and determination.