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Justice Sotomayor's first day

By Emily on 10/06/2009 @ 12:53 PM

Tags: Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court

In case you're curious if Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is fitting in to her new role, here's a great little tidbit for you: During her first hour on the bench, Sotomayor asked more questions than Justice Clarence Thomas asked "over the course of several years." Now, that's hitting the ground running.

We created a special graphic for Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearing, and many of you told us that a picture was worth a thousand words.

We think this picture has plenty to say, as well. Here's the court's first official photo with the newest justice:



Welcome to the court, Justice Sotomayor!

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Sotomayor joins Supreme Court bench

By Emily on 09/08/2009 @ 06:22 PM

Tags: Sonia Sotomayor, US Supreme Court

Sotomayor joins Supreme Court bench

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!

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Sotomayor confirmed to serve on U.S. Supreme Court

By Emily on 08/06/2009 @ 03:25 PM

Tags: U.S. Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor, U.S. Senate

Congratulations, Justice Sotomayor!

After being confirmed by the Senate this afternoon, President Obama's first Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, becomes the third woman on the court and the first-ever Latina. We put together this graphic to show what a historic moment this is.

Let us know what you think.

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Senate Democratic women unite behind Sotomayor

By Emily on 08/06/2009 @ 02:05 PM

Tags: Sonia Sotomayor, US Supreme Court, US Senate, Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar, Debbie Stabenow, Jeanne Shaheen, Patty Murray

Senate Democratic women unite behind 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.

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McCain to vote 'no' on Sotomayor

By Emily on 08/05/2009 @ 10:05 AM

Tags: GOP Opponents, US Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor, US Senate

McCain to vote 'no' on Sotomayor

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.
And yet, despite those seals of approval, McCain has announced he'll vote "no" on Sotomayor's nomination when it comes to a vote (presumably later this week). Describing Sotomayor as "an individual who does not appreciate the common-sense limitations on judicial power," McCain said he can't get behind the nomination.

I'm not shocked that McCain will vote against the nomination, but I find it hard to believe that alleged judicial activism played a more powerful role than political influence. Others weighing in -- from fellow senators to legal experts -- have rebuffed the activism claim. And recent public polling has shown that the majority of Americans favor Sotomayor's confirmation.

But most Republicans appear united in their opposition to Sotomayor, a predictable stance considering the partisan tone of the confirmation hearings.

Interesting to note is that McCain, who's up for reelection in 2010, represents a state where Latinos make up more than 30% of the population. He appears, however, unconcerned with the possible backlash among Latino voters regarding his stance on Sotomayor, a position similar to a number of GOP senators.

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Klobuchar remarks on sexism in Sotomayor hearings

By Emily on 07/28/2009 @ 07:40 PM

Tags: Sonia Sotomayor, US Supreme Court, US Senate, Amy Klobuchar, Sexism

I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one bothered by Republicans' questioning about Judge Sonia Sotomayor's "temperament" during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings this month. Before voting on Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination, Senator Amy Klobuchar made clear she believes the confirmation process of Judge Sonia Sotomayor dealt with blatantly sexist undertones. From the Minnesota Independent:

Klobuchar said she had bristled at “mostly anonymous question[ing of] Judge Sotomayor’s judicial temperament” and cited her own experience in Minnesota: “Where I come from, asking tough questions and showing very little patience for unprepared lawyers is the very definition of a judge.”

Sexist standards implicit in such critiques “irritated me,” Klobuchar said, adding that the country should ”appoint as many gruff, to-the-point female judges as gruff, to-the-point male judges.”

Klobuchar's comments today made the statement of Senator Dianne Feinstein, the only other woman on the committee, even more poignant. Feinstein noted that, although women in the judiciary have made progress, "we're not there yet." Read more about her comments here.

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Judiciary Committee approves Sotomayor nomination

By Emily on 07/28/2009 @ 12:20 PM

Tags: Sonia Sotomayor, US Supreme Court, US Senate

After weeks of build-up and days of hearings and deliberation, Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor has passed the first hurdle on her way to becoming the next justice. The Senate's Judiciary Committee voted 13 to 6 this morning to pass her confirmation on to the Senate for a full vote. South Carolina GOP Senator Lindsey Graham was the committee's only Republican to support the nomination.

A full Senate vote is expected in August.

According to Ben Pershing at the Washington Post, today's vote could be indicative of Republican plans for 2010:

Charles Grassley and Orrin Hatch both plan to cast their first-ever votes against a Supreme Court nominee today, and they attribute their opposition as much to the changing partisan atmosphere in the Senate as they do to Sotomayor's record. "I think it's a whole new ballgame, a lot different than I approached it with [Ruth Bader] Ginsburg and [Stephen] Breyer," Grassley told the Los Angeles Times.

Some are speculating that Sotomayor's nomination could become "campaign fodder" for Republicans running next year.

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Sessions announces 'no' vote on Sotomayor

By Emily on 07/27/2009 @ 02:47 PM

Tags: Sonia Sotomayor, US Supreme Court, US Senate

Sessions announces 'no' vote on Sotomayor

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.

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NYT: Sotomayor and women in law

By Emily on 07/20/2009 @ 07:20 PM

Tags: Sonia Sotomayor, Dianne Feinstein, US Supreme Court

NYT: Sotomayor and women in law

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.

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A Justice for All of Us

By Sen. Amy Klobuchar on 07/16/2009 @ 09:55 AM

Tags: Amy Klobuchar, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court, US Senate

A Justice for All of Us

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.

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Live streaming of the Sotomayor hearings

By Emily on 07/14/2009 @ 12:30 PM

Tags: Sonia Sotomayor, US Supreme Court, Multimedia

The committee hearings for President Obama's first Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, continue today. If confirmed, Sotomayor would be the first Latina to serve on the court.

Watch the live streaming here:



Live Blogging from EMILY's List

Day 2

12:30 p.m. Committee is recessing until 2:00 p.m. EST. Next up: Feingold and Grassley.

12:26 p.m. Additional questions from Feinstein, this time regarding Supreme Court rulings on the Commerce Clause.

12:08 p.m. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is now asking Sotomayor about the role of precendent and misconceptions of Sotomayor as an activist judge. Questions about executive power and the Bush Administration.

11:30 a.m. Back from break. Sen. Orrin Hatch has follow-up questions for Sotomayor about "settled" law and the Second Amendment.

10:55 a.m. Kohl quickly covers questions regarding right to privacy, including a brief mention of Roe v. Wade. Sotomayor confirms the constitutional right to privacy, mentioning precedents like Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

10:45 Sen. Herb Kohl begins his questions...More questions about the role of precedents. Sotomayor says that, of past Supreme Court justices, she most identifies with Benjamin Cardozo.

10:25 Sotomayor is responding to additional questions about feeling empathy with the parties involved in a case.

10:15 a.m. Sotomayor gave an extensive answer about the Second Amendment. And now, we're moving on to questions from Sen. Jeff Sessions, including additional information about the Ricci case. Lots of procedural Q&A with Sessions.

9:45 a.m. Sotomayor, appearing very comfortable in her back and forth with Leahy, is explaining the lessons her work as a prosecutor taught her. She also has described her role as a judge, saying judges are there to determine if "the law as it exists has principles that apply to new situations."

9:35 a.m. We're back with the second day of the Sotomayor hearings, and we've jumped right in to questions from committee chairman Sen. Pat Leahy. Sotomayor is describing her role as a prosecutor, highlighting the infamous "Tarzan Murder" case.

Day 1

After a morning of praise from Democrats and hesitation from Republicans, the hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor are underway this afternoon. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN) is off and running.

3:02 p.m. -- A process that reflects the greatness of our constitution and our nation -- After sharing more details about her own story, Sotomayor thanked the members of the committee. Back on the hot seat tomorrow...

2:59 p.m. Time to hear directly from Sotomayor. Her judicial philosophy: "Fidelity to the law." It's incredible to hear about the sacrifices her mother made and her mother's dedication to better her children's lives -- hard not to be touched by her story.

2:50 p.m. As a woman, I take great pride in this historic nomination -- Gillibrand thanked President Obama for nominating Sotomayor, and both she and Schumer praised Sotomayor's legal experience and humble background. Schumer emphasized that we are "a nation of individuals, all governed by one law." Gillibrand pointed to Sotomayor's experience "working in nearly every aspect of our legal system."

2:30 p.m. I'm here to learn from you -- Less than a week into his term, Al Franken is now a sitting member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. (Pause for another disturbance in the hearing) Franken, who took the oath of office just last week, is emphasizing his belief in a need for judicial restraint and not activism. Next up: Schumer and Gillibrand

2:25 p.m. Specter is focusing on some particular issues the Court has dealt with recently -- noting what he calls President Bush's "warrantless wiretapping" program. He also has mentioned wanting to have court hearings televised. Interesting...

2:15 p.m. Real people with real problems who are looking for real solutions -- I think Klobuchar hit the nail on the head. That's exactly what the court needs. Coming up: Arlen Specter.

2:00 p.m. A justice for all of us -- Klobuchar is spending much of her time talking about the many women upon whose shoulders Sotomayor stands -- the other women justices and lawyers who blazed the trail for women like Sotomayor. Klobuchar is also highlighting her shared background as a criminal prosecutor, which is sure to make her questions during the hearing particularly interesting.

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Gillibrand to introduce Sotomayor during hearings

By Emily on 07/13/2009 @ 01:42 PM

Tags: Kirsten Gillibrand, Sonia Sotomayor, US Supreme Court, US Senate

Just got a note from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (below) about today's Supreme Court nomination hearings. Kirsten sent an email to her supporters letting them know she'll be introducing nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor today at her confirmation hearing.

Last week, Gillibrand joined with other women senators in supporting Sotomayor's nomination. Read their statement here.

Be sure to tune in today!

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Leading in every branch: Taking charge in the Senate

By Ellen R. Malcolm on 07/13/2009 @ 09:20 AM

Tags: Sonia Sotomayor, US Supreme Court, Multimedia, US Senate

Leading in every branch: Taking charge in the Senate

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 >>

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Women senators stand with Sotomayor

By Emily on 07/09/2009 @ 04:52 PM

Tags: Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court, Multimedia, Barbara Boxer, Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar, Dianne Feinstein, Claire McCaskill, Barbara Mikulski, Jeanne Shaheen

Today, Senators Barbara Boxer (CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), and Amy Klobuchar (MN) offered their support for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, highlighting the importance of having another woman's voice on the highest court in the land.

“[Sotomayor’s nomination is] important because we want our [government] institutions in this country…to reflect the diversity of our country, and the majority of the people in this country are women and we need to be represented. It doesn’t mean women are better but we are equal,” Senator Barbara Boxer (CA) said.

Over the past couple of months Sotomayor has met with many of our women senators, including Klobuchar, Boxer, Gillibrand, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (CA), Sen. Claire McCaskill (MO), Sen. Barbara Mikulski (MD), and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (NH).

Check out photos from her meetings with some of the senators that EMILY's List helped elect.


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Sotomayor: Tough Kid Turns Unintimidated Judge

By Emily on 07/09/2009 @ 01:52 PM

Tags: Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court, Multimedia

Sotomayor: Tough Kid Turns Unintimidated Judge

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.

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NYT: Ginsburg on the "Place of Women on the Court"

By Emily on 07/08/2009 @ 02:42 PM

Tags: Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor, Feminism

NYT: Ginsburg on the "Place of Women on the Court"

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.

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