Sonia Sotomayor

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Sonia Sotomayor
BornSonia Maria Sotomayor
25 6, 1954
BirthplaceNew York City, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Known forFirst Hispanic and Latina justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
EducationYale Law School (J.D.)
AwardsPrinceton Pyne Prize (1976)

Sonia Maria Sotomayor (born June 25, 1954) is an American lawyer and jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, and confirmed by the United States Senate on August 8, 2009, Sotomayor holds the distinction of being the first Hispanic and Latina justice and the third woman to serve on the nation's highest court.[1] Born in the Bronx, New York City, to parents who had emigrated from Puerto Rico, Sotomayor rose from a modest upbringing shaped by loss and determination — her father died when she was nine, and she was raised largely by her mother — to earn degrees from Princeton University and Yale Law School before building a career that spanned prosecution, private legal practice, and the federal judiciary. Before reaching the Supreme Court, she served as a judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, appointed by President George H. W. Bush, and on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, appointed by President Bill Clinton.[2] During her Supreme Court tenure, Sotomayor has become identified with the Court's liberal bloc and has drawn attention for her opinions on criminal justice, racial equality, and civil rights. She has also authored several books, including a best-selling memoir and children's books, and has engaged in public speaking and educational outreach across the country.[3]

Early Life

Sonia Maria Sotomayor was born on June 25, 1954, in the Bronx, New York City, to Juan Sotomayor and Celina Báez, both of whom were born in Puerto Rico.[4] Her parents moved to New York City during World War II as part of the large wave of Puerto Rican migration to the mainland United States. The family initially lived in the South Bronx, and Sotomayor grew up in a public housing project in the Bronxdale Houses.[5]

Her father, Juan Sotomayor, had only a third-grade education and worked as a tool-and-die worker. He spoke limited English. Her mother, Celina Báez, served in the Women's Army Corps during World War II and later worked as a nurse. The household was Spanish-speaking, and Sotomayor did not become fully fluent in English until after her father's death.[4]

When Sotomayor was seven years old, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a condition she has managed throughout her life. Her father, Juan, died of heart complications in 1963, when Sotomayor was nine years old. After his death, Celina Sotomayor raised Sonia and her younger brother, Juan Jr., largely on her own. Celina placed a strong emphasis on education, purchasing the only set of Encyclopædia Britannica in the neighborhood and insisting that her children speak, read, and write English proficiently.[5]

Sotomayor has spoken publicly about how the television show Perry Mason inspired her early interest in the law, though she has noted that her diabetes diagnosis led her to reconsider an initial aspiration to become a detective, as she believed the condition would be a barrier to that career. Instead, she focused on the legal profession from an early age.[5] She attended Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx, where she was valedictorian of her graduating class.[1]

The Bronx of Sotomayor's youth was a community grappling with poverty and urban decline, and her experiences growing up in public housing amid these challenges informed perspectives she would later bring to the bench. Her brother, Juan Sotomayor Jr., went on to become a physician in Syracuse, New York.[6]

Education

Sotomayor enrolled at Princeton University in 1972, entering as part of one of the first large cohorts of women and minority students admitted under the university's affirmative action policies. She has described feeling like a visitor in an alien land during her early time at Princeton, noting the cultural gap between her Bronx upbringing and the elite university environment.[7]

At Princeton, Sotomayor became actively involved in Latino student organizations and served on a university disciplinary committee. She co-chaired Acción Puertorriqueña, a student group that advocated for the recruitment of Latino students and faculty and for the creation of Latin American studies courses. She also filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare regarding Princeton's lack of Latino faculty and administrators.[8]

She graduated summa cum laude from Princeton in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. Her senior thesis, titled "La Historia Criminal de Puerto Rico, 1898–1944," examined the history of Puerto Rican criminal justice. She was awarded the Moses Taylor Pyne Honor Prize, the highest general distinction conferred on a Princeton undergraduate.[8][9]

Sotomayor then attended Yale Law School, where she earned her Juris Doctor degree in 1979. At Yale, she served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal and as managing editor of the Yale Studies in World Public Order (later the Yale Journal of International Law).[2] Her time at Yale further shaped her legal thinking, and she has noted that the school's clinical programs gave her early experience with practical legal work.

Career

Assistant District Attorney

After graduating from Yale Law School in 1979, Sotomayor joined the office of Robert Morgenthau, the District Attorney of New York County (Manhattan), as an assistant district attorney. She served in that role for four and a half years, from 1979 to 1984.[10]

During her time in the district attorney's office, Sotomayor prosecuted a range of criminal cases, from petty theft and prostitution to robbery, assault, and murder. She gained substantial trial experience, handling cases from investigation through verdict. Colleagues from this period have described her as a diligent and thorough prosecutor who immersed herself in the details of each case.[10] The work gave her firsthand exposure to the criminal justice system and to the lives of defendants, victims, and witnesses — experiences that would later inform her jurisprudence on the Supreme Court.

Private Practice

In 1984, Sotomayor left the district attorney's office and entered private practice, joining the law firm of Pavia & Harcourt, a small boutique firm in New York City that specialized in international law and intellectual property litigation.[11] She became a partner at the firm and worked there until 1992. Her practice included work on behalf of international clients, including luxury fashion brands, on matters of trademark counterfeiting and intellectual property protection.

During this period, Sotomayor was also active in civic and legal organizations. She served on the board of directors of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (now LatinoJustice PRLDEF), where she was involved in litigation strategy related to civil rights and voting rights issues affecting the Latino community.[12] She also served on the board of the State of New York Mortgage Agency and the New York City Campaign Finance Board.[13]

U.S. District Court

On November 27, 1991, President George H. W. Bush nominated Sotomayor to serve as a judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She was recommended for the position by Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York under a bipartisan judicial selection arrangement. The Senate confirmed her nomination on August 11, 1992, and she received her judicial commission the following day.[14][15]

As a district court judge, Sotomayor presided over a wide variety of civil and criminal cases. One of her most prominent rulings during this period came in 1995 in the case of Silverman v. Major League Baseball Player Relations Committee, in which she issued an injunction against Major League Baseball owners, effectively ending the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike that had led to the cancellation of the 1994 World Series. The ruling preserved the existing system of salary arbitration and free agency and was later upheld by the Second Circuit. The decision brought Sotomayor national media attention and led some commentators to describe her as the judge who "saved baseball."[16]

Sotomayor served on the district court from 1992 until 1998, when she was elevated to the appellate bench. Her successor on the district court was Victor Marrero.[15]

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

In June 1997, President Bill Clinton nominated Sotomayor to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, one of the most influential appellate courts in the federal judiciary. The nomination, however, was delayed for over a year by the Republican-controlled Senate. Some Republican senators expressed concern that the Second Circuit appointment could serve as a stepping stone to a Supreme Court nomination, and the confirmation process became entangled in broader partisan disputes over judicial appointments.[17]

The Senate ultimately confirmed Sotomayor on October 2, 1998, by a vote of 67–29, and she received her judicial commission on October 7, 1998. She succeeded Judge J. Daniel Mahoney, and her eventual successor on the Second Circuit was Raymond Lohier.[18]

During her nearly eleven years on the Second Circuit, Sotomayor heard appeals in more than 3,000 cases and authored approximately 380 opinions.[1] Her appellate work covered a broad range of legal subjects, including civil rights, commercial law, criminal law, and constitutional questions. Her opinions were noted for their careful attention to factual detail and procedural rigor.

Sotomayor also maintained an active role in legal education while serving on the Second Circuit. She taught as an adjunct professor at the New York University School of Law and at Columbia Law School, instructing courses on appellate advocacy and related subjects.[19]

Supreme Court Nomination and Confirmation

On May 26, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor to serve as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice David Souter.[20] In announcing the nomination, Obama cited Sotomayor's extensive judicial experience, her personal story of rising from modest circumstances, and the breadth of her legal career spanning prosecution, private practice, and the federal bench.[9]

The confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee took place in July 2009. During the hearings, Sotomayor faced questioning on a range of issues, including her judicial philosophy, her views on the role of personal experience in judging, and specific past statements and rulings. A focal point of debate was a 2001 speech in which she had remarked that she would hope that "a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life." Sotomayor addressed the comment during the hearings, describing it as a rhetorical flourish that fell flat and stating that judges must always follow the law.[16]

The Senate confirmed Sotomayor on August 6, 2009, by a vote of 68–31. She received support from all Democratic senators and nine Republican senators. She was sworn in on August 8, 2009, becoming the 111th justice of the Supreme Court, the first Hispanic justice, and the third woman to serve on the Court after Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.[1]

Supreme Court Tenure

Since joining the Supreme Court, Sotomayor has been associated with the Court's liberal wing, consistently aligning with progressive positions on issues of civil rights, criminal justice, and government regulation when the justices divide along ideological lines.[1]

Sotomayor has been particularly identified with her attention to the rights of criminal defendants and her interest in criminal justice reform. In J. D. B. v. North Carolina (2011), she authored the majority opinion holding that a suspect's age is relevant to the Miranda custody analysis, reasoning that a reasonable child subjected to police questioning will sometimes feel pressured to submit to questioning in circumstances where an adult would feel free to leave. The decision was considered an important expansion of the protections afforded to juvenile suspects.[1]

She has also become known for writing impassioned dissenting opinions, particularly on matters of race and ethnic identity. In Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action (2014), Sotomayor authored a lengthy dissent arguing that a Michigan constitutional amendment banning affirmative action in public university admissions placed a unique burden on racial minorities. In Utah v. Strieff (2016), she dissented from a ruling that allowed evidence obtained after an unlawful police stop to be admitted in court, writing a pointed opinion that discussed the real-world impact of such stops on communities of color. And in Trump v. Hawaii (2018), she dissented from the majority's decision to uphold the travel ban executive order, drawing comparisons to the Court's decision in Korematsu v. United States.[1]

In February 2026, Sotomayor continued to engage publicly on issues of judicial transparency and criminal justice. She raised concerns about Florida's lethal injection protocol in a statement related to the Supreme Court's denial of certiorari in an execution case, urging greater transparency in the state's execution procedures and criticizing what she described as secrecy surrounding the process.[21][22]

Public Engagement and Writing

Beyond her judicial duties, Sotomayor has maintained a public profile through writing and speaking engagements. She published her memoir, My Beloved World, in 2013, which recounted her childhood in the Bronx, her education, and her early legal career. The book became a New York Times bestseller.[1]

Sotomayor has also written children's books, including the picture book Just Shine!, which was the subject of a national book tour in 2025 and 2026. During the tour, she visited schools, community centers, and bookstores, engaging with young audiences. Events included an appearance at the Carver Theater in San Antonio, Texas, where she spoke to an audience of children about perseverance and self-confidence.[23][24]

Sotomayor has made numerous public speaking appearances at universities and law schools. In February 2026, she visited UCLA School of Law, sharing insights on law, leadership, and the judiciary.[3] In September 2025, she spoke at George Washington University, where she participated in a conversation about disability, the importance of civic engagement, and the role of checks and balances in the American system of government, asking her audience, "Do you understand what you're losing?" in reference to institutional norms.[25] She also appeared at the University of Miami in September 2025, speaking to an audience of nearly 600 about her children's book and the importance of education.[26]

Personal Life

Sotomayor was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of seven, a condition she has managed throughout her life and has discussed publicly to raise awareness about the disease.[5] She has spoken about learning to give herself insulin injections as a child and about the discipline the condition requires.

She was married to Kevin Edward Noonan in 1976; the couple divorced in 1983. Sotomayor has no children.[1]

Sotomayor has been open about her identity as a Latina and a Nuyorican (a New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent), and she has spoken frequently about how her upbringing in the Bronx and her Puerto Rican heritage have shaped her worldview. She has maintained close ties to the Bronx community and to Puerto Rican cultural organizations throughout her career.[4]

Her management of Type 1 diabetes has been a recurring theme in her public life. At the George Washington University event in September 2025, she discussed disability and its impact on her career, reflecting on the challenges and adaptations the condition has required over decades of demanding professional work.[25]

Recognition

Sotomayor's appointment to the Supreme Court in 2009 was itself a landmark event, as she became the first Hispanic and Latina person to serve on the Court and only the third woman in the institution's history.[1] The nomination drew extensive media coverage and public attention, and it was regarded as a significant milestone for the Latino community in the United States.

While at Princeton University, Sotomayor received the Moses Taylor Pyne Honor Prize, the university's highest academic distinction for an undergraduate, upon her graduation in 1976.[8]

Sotomayor has received numerous honorary degrees and awards from legal, educational, and civic organizations throughout her career. She has been recognized by the American Bar Association and various Latino advocacy organizations for her contributions to the legal profession and to the advancement of diversity in the judiciary.[12]

Her memoir, My Beloved World, received critical praise and commercial success upon its publication in 2013, further elevating her public profile beyond the legal world. Her children's books have extended her reach to younger audiences and have been accompanied by national tours that have drawn large crowds at venues across the United States.[23][26]

Legacy

Sotomayor's career represents a significant chapter in the history of the American judiciary. As the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court, her appointment in 2009 expanded the demographic representation of the Court and was received as an important symbolic and substantive development in the ongoing diversification of the federal bench.[1]

Her jurisprudence on the Supreme Court has been characterized by a focus on individual rights, criminal justice reform, and racial equality. Opinions such as her majority in J. D. B. v. North Carolina and her dissents in Schuette v. BAMN, Utah v. Strieff, and Trump v. Hawaii have contributed to legal scholarship and public discourse on the intersection of law, race, and civil liberties in the United States. Legal commentators have noted that her dissents, in particular, serve as significant statements of alternative constitutional interpretation that may influence future legal developments.[1]

Beyond the courtroom, Sotomayor's personal story — from public housing in the Bronx to the Supreme Court — has resonated widely, particularly among Latino and immigrant communities. Her willingness to discuss her background, her diabetes diagnosis, and the obstacles she faced has made her a visible public figure who engages directly with communities across the country through speaking engagements, book tours, and educational initiatives.[23][25]

Her teaching at New York University School of Law and Columbia Law School contributed to legal education and mentorship of young lawyers during her years on the appellate bench.[19] Her continued public engagement through university visits and children's books in the 2020s reflects an ongoing commitment to reaching audiences beyond the legal profession.[3][26]

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 "Sonia Sotomayor | Supreme Court Justice, First Latina".Britannica.https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sonia-Sotomayor.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Sotomayor resume".CNN.2009.http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/26/sotomayor.resume/?iref=hpmostpop.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor speaks at UCLA Law".UCLA Newsroom.2026-02-06.https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/supreme-court-justice-sonia-sotomayor-speaks-at-ucla-law.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Sotomayor's roots".CNN.2009-07-13.http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/13/sotomayor.roots/index.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Sotomayor's childhood".CNN.2009-07-14.http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/14/sotomayor.childhood/index.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  6. ↑ "Sotomayor family".Syracuse.com.2009-05.http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/pablo_martinez_monsivais_appre.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  7. ↑ "Sotomayor's college years".CNN.2009-07-15.http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/15/sotomayor.college/index.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Sotomayor at Princeton".The Daily Princetonian.2009-05-13.http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2009/05/13/23695/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "UC Berkeley background on Sotomayor".UC Berkeley.2009-05-26.http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/05/26_sotomayor.shtml.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Sotomayor as district attorney".CNN.2009-07-16.http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/16/sotomayor.district.attorney/index.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  11. ↑ "Nominee's civil practice was with a small but specialized firm".National Law Journal.http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202431011230&Nominees_civil_practice_was_with_a_small_but_specialized_firm&slreturn=1.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Hispanic heritage biography".American Bar Association.http://www.abanet.org/publiced/hispanic_s.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  13. ↑ "Board members".New York City Campaign Finance Board.http://www.nyccfb.info/press/info/board_members.htm?sm=press_04.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  14. ↑ "Sotomayor's district court bid".The Washington Post.2009-05-27.http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/05/27/sotomayors_district_court_bid.html?wprss=44.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Sotomayor on the bench".CNN.2009-07-17.http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/17/sotomayor.bench/index.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Sotomayor profile".Los Angeles Times.2009-05-31.http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-sotomayor-profile31-2009may31,0,2464037.story.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  17. ↑ "Sotomayor confirmation background".Los Angeles Times.2009-06-06.http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-sotomayor6-2009jun06,0,110637.story.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  18. ↑ "Judge biography".U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/judgesbio.htm.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Sotomayor past profiles".Aspen Publishers.http://www.aspenpublishers.com/PDF/Sotomayor_Almanac_Past_Profiles.pdf.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  20. ↑ "Sonia Sotomayor".The New York Times.http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/sonia_sotomayor/index.html?inline=nyt-per.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  21. ↑ "Sotomayor expresses concerns about Florida's lethal injection protocol".The Hill.2026-02-24.https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5753043-florida-lethal-injection-melvin-trotter-sonia-sotomayor/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  22. ↑ "Sotomayor says Florida shrouds executions in secrecy".USA Today.2026-02-24.https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/24/justice-sotomayor-florida-execution-lethal-injection/88846633007/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 "Justice Sonia Sotomayor fills the Carver Theater during 'Just Shine!' book tour".San Antonio Report.2026-02.https://sanantonioreport.org/justice-sonia-sotomayor-fills-the-carver-theater-during-just-shine-book-tour/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  24. ↑ "Supreme Court justice coming to S.A. to talk about new book".San Antonio Express-News.2026-01.https://www.expressnews.com/entertainment/article/sotomayor-book-san-antonio-21315914.php.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 "Sonia Sotomayor: When Checks and Balances Fail, 'Do You Understand What You're Losing?'".GW Today.2025-09-22.https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/sonia-sotomayor-when-checks-and-balances-fail-do-you-understand-what-youre-losing.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 "University welcomes US Supreme Court justice to campus".University of Miami.2025-09.https://news.miami.edu/stories/2025/09/university-welcomes-us-supreme-court-justice-to-campus.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.

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