After speculation, questioning, and Senate votes, Justice Sonia Sotomayor has officially taken her seat on the United States Supreme Court -- the first Latina and third woman to serve in that role. And we couldn't be more excited to see her there.

Although she took her oath and became a member of the court in early August, yesterday's investiture ceremony served as the first time Sotomayor has been able to join her fellow justices in the court's chambers. And that meant a ritual filled with tradition, a repeat of the official oath, and an incredibly proud family looking on.

But the excitement and ceremony won't last long. Work continues for the justices today, when they'll begin hearing cases.

Congratulations, Justice Sotomayor!

We already knew that the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor would be historic, but I love hearing it articulated by the women we helped elect to the Senate.

Yesterday morning, a number of EMILY's List elected women took to the Senate floor to praise Sotomayor's experience, education, and trail-blazing path to her Supreme Court nomination. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Debbie Stabenow (MI), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), and Patty Murray (WA) all spoke in support of Sotomayor.

Klobuchar, who spoke previously about the importance of adding a woman's voice on the court (and blogged about it here!), spoke today about Sotomayor's qualifications: “She knows the law, she knows the Constitution...But she knows America too.”

Click here to watch a great video of Gillibrand on the Senate floor.

This paragraph from today's L.A. Times article about Sen. John McCain's decision not to back Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court leaves me stumped:

[McCain] really likes federal Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Thinks she's got an excellent resume. An inspiring life story. Heck, he even thinks she has the professional qualifications to be a Supreme Court justice.

With a committee vote scheduled for tomorrow, the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court appears to be full-speed ahead -- even if some Republicans on the Judiciary Committee might not be quick to agree.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (AL), the committee's top-ranked GOP member, announced today that he'll vote against Sotomayor's confirmation tomorrow, joining 7 other Republicans on the committee expected to vote against the nomination. Five GOPers -- including Sen. Lindsey Graham (SC), who was seen by many as the hearing's most critical questioner -- have announced their support or are expected to back Sotomayor.

Although Sotomayor will likely garner enough support for a full Senate vote, Sessions' announcement is a sure sign that Republicans plan "to muster significant opposition to Sotomayor," according to USA Today.

After likely floor debate in the next week or two, a full Senate vote is expected for August.

Just read a great article in today's New York Times about Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Comparing last week's events with the 1991 hearings of Justice Clarence Thomas, the article has an interesting take on women and the judicial process.

After four days of questioning, the hearings ended last week. A Senate vote will likely be scheduled for August.

Food for thought from the Times:

In 1991, there were no women on the Judiciary Committee; today there are just 2 among the 19 members. One of them is Dianne Feinstein, elected in 1992 as part of the so-called Anita Hill class, which brought a record number of women to the House (47) and Senate (6). Senator Feinstein noted that when Judge Sotomayor graduated from Yale Law in 1979, there had never been a woman on the Supreme Court and that although women represent 50.7 percent of the population, 48 percent of law school graduates and 30 percent of American lawyers, there are now only 17 women in the Senate and one on the Supreme Court.

“So we’re making progress, but we’re not there yet,” Ms. Feinstein said.

As one of two women Senators on the Judiciary Committee, I thought you would like a report about the Sotomayor hearings.

As only the third woman to sit as a Supreme Court nominee before the committee and the first ever Latina in that role, Judge Sotomayor is following in the footsteps of the trailblazing women who came before her -- two women who faced incredible obstacles. For Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, it was getting job offers only for positions for which she was overly qualified. For Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, it was getting passed over for a clerkship simply because she was a woman.

The following post is part of a series from EMILY's List President Ellen R. Malcolm on women leaders in every branch of government.

Today, the Senate is about to begin confirmation hearings on Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. As the only Democratic women on the Judiciary Committee, Sens. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) will be front and center in the fight to confirm the nation’s first Hispanic justice.

A former prosecutor, Klobuchar pushed back against conservative attacks on Sotomayor’s record, particularly complaints that, as a judge, Sotomayor was unduly tough. “I was hoping we’d get to a point … where we would get appointed rough, to-the-point female justices, just as we’ve appointed male judges” with similar characteristics, she told the American Constitution Society.

Feinstein defended Sotomayor against right-wing claims that she is an “activist” judge, refreshingly stating the obvious: judges have always made policy. “If there is no precedent, an appellate court judge will, in effect, by their opinion, make policy,” Feinstein said. Read more >>

We're always thrilled to see women trailblazers make history - and we hope this week will be no exception. If confirmed by the Senate, Sonia Sotomayor is poised to make history, becoming the third woman and first Latina ever to serve on the court.

NPR's Morning Edition featured a profile on the U.S. Supreme Court nominee today, calling her a "tough kid" who turned into an "unintimidated judge."

Stephen Carter, who attended Yale Law with Sotomayor and is now professor at there, told NPR that, "She is willing to listen in a thoughtful and respectful way, even to people who disagree with her."

If confirmed, Sotomayor will be the 111th justice to serve on the Supreme Court. While Sotomayor is making great strides for women, she also shows us how much father we have to go.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has never been one to hold back -- and that's exactly why we've loved watching her on the court.

Today's New York Times interview with Ginsburg truly captures the 16-year-veteran of the country's top court. Ginsburg had strong words of support for nominee Sonia Sotomayor, and didn't was quick to give one reason she's excited about the prospect of having another woman on the court: "I feel great that I don’t have to be the lone woman around this place."

Ginsburg's spunk -- "Has anybody watched Scalia or Breyer up on the bench?" -- and insight are as dead-on as ever.

And, Ruth, we completely agree with you about Sonia. We can't wait to see her up there, either.