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• Justice Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed as the 111th and first Hispanic Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court on August 6, 2009.

  Justice Sotomayor worked with U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, in Manhattan, before being named by President Barack Obama to replace Supreme Court Justice David Souter, upon his retirement. The announcement was made on May 26, 2009, following wide speculation that Sotomayor was Obama's choice.CNN: Who is Sonia Sotomayor? (May 26, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Born in 1954
  2. Birthplace: Bronx, New York FJC:Sonia Sotomayor
  3. Received B.A. from Princeton University in 1976 FJC:Sonia Sotomayor
  4. Graduated from Yale University Law School in 1979 FJC:Sonia Sotomayor
  5. Served as Judge, U. S. District Court, Southern District of New York
  6. Nominated by George H. W. Bush on November 27, 1991 FJC:Sonia Sotomayor
  7. Service terminated on October 13, 1998, due to appointment to another judicial position
  8. Judge, U. S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  9. Nominated by Bill Clinton on June 25, 1997 FJC:Sonia Sotomayor
  10. Sotomayor was also assistant district attorney in New York County District Attorney's Office, 1979-1984
  11. Had a private practice in New York City from 1984-1992 FJC:Sonia Sotomayor
  12. Legal predicted Obama's first choice for Supreme Court Justice would be a woman AJC: Some Americans Would Argue... (November 9, 2008)
  13. Currently, the only woman on the court is Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has been ill with cancer
  14. Experts also believe Obama will choose judges who often side with liberals on the most hotly contested social issues including abortion, school prayer, gay rights, gun control, affirmative action AJC: Some Americans Would Argue... (November 9, 2008)

• Notable Firsts

  Sotomayor is the first Puerto Rican woman to serve as a U.S. Circuit Court judge. Sotomayor will be the first Hispanic person and the third woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice.CNN: Who is Sonia Sotomayor? (May 26, 2009) FJC:Sonia Sotomayor USAToday: Obama to Nominate...(May 26, 2009)

• 2001 UC Berkley Controversy

  On May 28, 2009, Sotomayor came under fire by Republican senators who called her racist for comments she made in a 2001 regarding how a "wise Latina woman" would make better decisions than a white man at a speech at the University of California, Berkeley.USA Today: Sessions Says Sotomayor Comment is "Troubling" On the following day, President Obama defended the context of the quote, adding that his nominee does not believe in "identity politics" and assailing the racism charge as "nonsense that is being spewed out."Huffington Post: Obama Addresses "Identity Politics" Accusations (May 29, 2009)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Puerto Rico | Barack Obama | Bronx | Princeton University | Yale University | George H. W. Bush | Bill Clinton | New York City | Elena Kagan

• Ankle Injury

  Sotomayor fractured her right ankle at LaGuardia Airport, in New York, June 8, 2009. Sotomayor, scheduled to meet with senators, was given crutches and kept her appointments for the day.FOXNEWS: Sotomayor Fractures Ankle...

• Fillibuster Not Likely

  Following the trend of previous Supreme Court appointments, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Senate Republicans will likely avoid a filibuster in the confirmation of Sotomayor. However, the GOP has indicated that it will not back down on challenging Sotomayor on her record and public comments she's made, namely the comments made at a 2001 speech at the University of California, Berkeley.CNN: GOP lawmakers: Sotomayor filibuster unlikely (May 31, 2009)

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