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| '''Sonia Sotomayor''' (born in ] in ], ]) is a ] on the ]. After graduating with a ] from ] in ], Sotomayor obtained her ] from ] in ]. Sotomayor then served as an Assistant ] for the ] District Attorney's Office until ], when she entered private practice in New York City. | '''Sonia Sotomayor''' (born in ] in ], ]) is a ] on the ]. | ||
| ==Education and Legal Training== | |||
| After graduating with a ] from ] in ], Sotomayor obtained her ] from ] in ]. Sotomayor then served as an Assistant ] for the ] District Attorney's Office until ], when she entered private practice in New York City. | |||
| ==Federal Judicial Service== | |||
| On ], ], Sotomayor was nominated by President ] to a seat on the ] vacated by ] (the president's cousin.) She was confirmed by the ] on August 11, ], and received commission the next day. | On ], ], Sotomayor was nominated by President ] to a seat on the ] vacated by ] (the president's cousin.) She was confirmed by the ] on August 11, ], and received commission the next day. | ||
| On ], ], she issued the preliminary injunction against ], preventing MLB from unilaterally implementing a new ] and using ], thus ending the ]. | On ], ], she issued the preliminary injunction against ], preventing MLB from unilaterally implementing a new ] and using ], thus ending the ]. | ||
| ⚫ | ==Confirmation as Court of Appeals Judge== | ||
| On ], ], she was nominated by President ] to the seat she now holds, which was vacated by ]. | On ], ], she was nominated by President ] to the seat she now holds, which was vacated by ]. | ||
| ⚫ | ==Confirmation |
||
| Her nomination became a source of controversy when it was contested by a number of ] media outlets and organizations, including the '']'', which called her a "]", and the ], which called her a "]" based on a number of her decisions and writings, including her assertion that law can and should "evolve" as a result of judicial decisions without amendment by the people or their elected representatives. Many conservatives feared that, if confirmed to the appellate bench, she would be on the fast track to a ] appointment, in part because she would be the first ] woman on the high court. | Her nomination became a source of controversy when it was contested by a number of ] media outlets and organizations, including the '']'', which called her a "]", and the ], which called her a "]" based on a number of her decisions and writings, including her assertion that law can and should "evolve" as a result of judicial decisions without amendment by the people or their elected representatives. Many conservatives feared that, if confirmed to the appellate bench, she would be on the fast track to a ] appointment, in part because she would be the first ] woman on the high court. | ||
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| After months of controversy, then-] ] scheduled a vote on her nomination with little advance notice, angering conservatives who saw Lott as clearing a path for her confirmation and being too accommodating to Clinton. With solid Democratic support, and Republicans divided roughly equally, she was confirmed on October 2, ], and she received commission on October 7. | After months of controversy, then-] ] scheduled a vote on her nomination with little advance notice, angering conservatives who saw Lott as clearing a path for her confirmation and being too accommodating to Clinton. With solid Democratic support, and Republicans divided roughly equally, she was confirmed on October 2, ], and she received commission on October 7. | ||
| ==Possible Supreme Court Nomination under Bush== | |||
| ==O'Connor seat== | |||
| In ], a number of Senate Democrats suggested Sotomayor, among others, to President ] as a nominee acceptable to them to fill the seat of retiring Supreme Court Justice ]. The suggestion was criticized in the conservative magazine '']'' as being in ], because it allegedly reflected a lack of effort to suggest nominees whom Bush could also support. The seat was eventually filled by a well-known conservative jurist, Judge ] of the ]. | In ], a number of Senate Democrats suggested Sotomayor, among others, to President ] as a nominee acceptable to them to fill the seat of retiring Supreme Court Justice ]. The suggestion was criticized in the conservative magazine '']'' as being in ], because it allegedly reflected a lack of effort to suggest nominees whom Bush could also support. The seat was eventually filled by a well-known conservative jurist, Judge ] of the ]. | ||
Revision as of 14:49, 3 November 2007
Sonia Sotomayor (born in 1954 in The Bronx, New York) is a judge on the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Education and Legal Training
After graduating with a B.A. from Princeton University in 1976, Sotomayor obtained her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1979. Sotomayor then served as an Assistant District Attorney for the New York County District Attorney's Office until 1984, when she entered private practice in New York City.
Federal Judicial Service
On November 27, 1991, Sotomayor was nominated by President George H.W. Bush to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York vacated by John M. Walker, Jr. (the president's cousin.) She was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 11, 1992, and received commission the next day.
On March 30, 1995, she issued the preliminary injunction against Major League Baseball, preventing MLB from unilaterally implementing a new Collective Bargaining Agreement and using replacement players, thus ending the 1994 baseball strike.
Confirmation as Court of Appeals Judge
On June 25, 1997, she was nominated by President Bill Clinton to the seat she now holds, which was vacated by J. Daniel Mahoney.
Her nomination became a source of controversy when it was contested by a number of conservative media outlets and organizations, including the Wall Street Journal, which called her a "liberal", and the Free Congress Foundation, which called her a "judicial activist" based on a number of her decisions and writings, including her assertion that law can and should "evolve" as a result of judicial decisions without amendment by the people or their elected representatives. Many conservatives feared that, if confirmed to the appellate bench, she would be on the fast track to a U.S. Supreme Court appointment, in part because she would be the first Hispanic woman on the high court.
Indeed, Senate Democrats emphasized her sex and race in the nomination debate. Senator Patrick Leahy, pointing to other Hispanic Clinton nominees who had been blocked by the GOP, implied that opponents of her confirmation were opposed to Hispanics achieving high judicial office.
After months of controversy, then-Majority Leader Trent Lott scheduled a vote on her nomination with little advance notice, angering conservatives who saw Lott as clearing a path for her confirmation and being too accommodating to Clinton. With solid Democratic support, and Republicans divided roughly equally, she was confirmed on October 2, 1998, and she received commission on October 7.
Possible Supreme Court Nomination under Bush
In July 2005, a number of Senate Democrats suggested Sotomayor, among others, to President George W. Bush as a nominee acceptable to them to fill the seat of retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. The suggestion was criticized in the conservative magazine National Review as being in bad faith, because it allegedly reflected a lack of effort to suggest nominees whom Bush could also support. The seat was eventually filled by a well-known conservative jurist, Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. of the Third Circuit.
Future Nomination to the Supreme Court
It is widely accepted that Sotomayor would be a front-runner if a new Supreme Court seat should open up under a future Democratic president.
Awards and Honors
Sonia Sotomayor received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Princeton University in 2001.
See also
External Links
- Judges of the United States Courts Biographical information.
- Extended Biography
- Senate confirms Sotomayor as 2nd Circuit Judge
- Cabranes, Sotomayor On Kerry’s A-List
- Unserious Suggestions Critical piece in National Review.