ACLU Report on U.S. Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor

Report of the American Civil Liberties Union on the Nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Access the full report.

In accordance with ACLU Policy 519, this report summarizes the civil liberties and civil rights record of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who was nominated by President Obama on May 26, 2009, to replace Justice David Souter as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Sonia Sotomayor's Commencement Speech at Pace Law School (2003)

We previously posted the video of Judge Sotomayor's commencement speech at Pace Law School graduation, May 18, 2003. That video is available here (Part 1) and here (Part 2). Now we have the transcript of the speech available here, as well as the Honorary Degree Citation conferring the Doctor of Laws degree on Judge Sotomayor.

Law Library of Congress on Sonia Sotomayor

The Law Library of Congress launched a new website on Supreme Court Nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, listing articles and books, congressional documents, cases, and other web resources about Ms. Sotomayor, as part of their find legal resources section. To add to the list, also check out Pace Honorary Degree Recipient Sonia Sotomayor's profile on Pace Law School website.

Pace Law School Commencement (2003)

Sonia Sotomayor was the commencement speaker at the Law School graduation in 2003. Listen to her speech here

Pace Law Connection for New Supreme Court Justice?

Two of the candidates touted as possible replacements for retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter were commencement speakers at Pace Law School, and both were awarded honorary Doctor of Laws degrees. In 2000, Seth Waxman, former U.S. Solicitor General spoke and in 2003 Sonia Sotomayor, Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. I am a 2003 alumna of Pace Law School, and recall that Judge Sotomayor's speech was one of the highlights of commencement. She brought her elderly mother with her and spoke sincerely and movingly about her life and her journey to her appointment as a Second Circuit judge. Her honorary degree citation read, in part

If ever there were a role model of aspiration, discipline, commitment, intellectual prowess and integrity, it is you, Sonia Sotomayor. The nation, in general, and the people of the Second Judicial Circuit, in particular, benefit from your solid judicial experience. Even in our postmodern, deconstructionist society when the reality of impartiality seems, at times, illusory, you have proven that you maintain the rule of law, uphold the U,S, Constitution, and administer justice impartially and fairly according to law, Your progressively stellar career is evidence of your hard work and intelligence as well as your dedication to public service.

Will Judge Sotomayor soon be Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor? Stay tuned.