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Sonia Sotomayor Biography

Sonia Sotomayor

Sonia Maria Sotomayor (/ˈsoʊtəˌmaɪ.ər/; Spanish: [ˈsonja sotomaˈʝor]; born June 25, 1954) is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 2009. She has the distinction of being its first justice of Hispanic descent and the first Latina.

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Sonia Sotomayor Quotes

I do think there is a value in the services of judges for long periods of time.

Judging, Long, Services, Think, Thinking, Time

Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences. . . our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging.

Cultural, Differences, Judging, Making A Difference, Origins

Outside of the marriage context, can you think of any other rational basis, reason, for a state using sexual orientation as a factor in denying homosexuals benefits or imposing burdens on them? Is there any other rational decision-making that the government could make? Denying them a job, not granting them benefits of some sort, any other decision?

Jobs, Gay, Thinking, Basis, Government, Imposing

When I first became a judge on the district court, I had one lawyer who came to argue before me, and he was looking off to the side as he was talking. I started asking him questions, and all of a sudden he whipped around and looked at me intently. I could see in his eyes that he had finally figured out, "This is no dummy, I'd better pay attention. " It is satisfying to see that.

Asking, Attention, Eye, Eyes, Judging, Looking

In examining witnesses, I learned to ask general questions so as to elicit details with powerful sensory associations: the colors, the sounds, the smells that lodge an image in the mind and put the listener in the burning house.

Color, Colors, Elicit, Lodge, Powerful, Smell

I'm a common law judge. I believe in deciding every case on its facts, not on a legal philosophy. And I believe in deciding each case in the most limited way possible, because common law judges have a firm belief that the best development of the law is the one that lets society show you the next step, and that next step is in the new facts that each case presents.

Believe, Deciding, Law, Philosophy, Step

I don't stand by the understanding of that statement that I will ignore other facts or other experiences because I haven't had them. I do believe that life experiences are important to the process of judging - They help you to understand and listen - but that the law requires a result. And it would command you to the facts that are relevant to the disposition of the case.

Believe, Law, Judging, Help, Facts

Success is its own reward, but failure is a great teacher too, and not to be feared.

Feared, Great Teacher, Rewards, Success, Teacher

As you may know from my life story, my cousin who was my soul mate went to a public school. And he died of AIDS. Would I and my brother have been able to resist the lure of drugs in the surrounding schools? Who knows.

Aids, Brother, Cousin, School, Story

I 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.

Conclusion, Experiences, Glowing, Male, Wise, Women

I got a label because I was Hispanic and a woman and [therefore] I had to be liberal.

Hispanic, Label, Labels, Liberal, Woman

Remember that no one succeeds alone. Never walk alone in your future paths.

Alone, Future, Path, Remember, Succeed

When I talk to kids, I often tell them, "I'm going to disappoint you someday. I won't be worth my salt as a judge if I don't render at least one decision that makes you unhappy. Because if I'm following the law - and I don't write them - there has to be some decision you won't like. Please don't judge any person by one act. Take from them the good and don't concentrate on the little things that make you unhappy. " That's my approach to family and friends, too.

Writing, Kids, Judging, Law, Take, Decision

I don't have a professional aspiration. But I do have a personal one: I want to continue growing as a person. I want to reach out more to people, learn more from them. Ultimately, I would like to be a great justice that people remember with respect and fondness.

Growing, Justice, Learn, Like, People, Remember

I had no need to apologize that the look-wider, search-more affirmative action that Princeton and Yale practiced had opened doors for me. That was its purpose: to create the conditions whereby students from disadvantaged backgrounds could be brought to the starting line of a race many were unaware was even being run.

Action, Apologize, Race, Running, Students, Yale

The challenges I have faced—among them material poverty, chronic illness, and being raised by a single mother—are not uncommon, but neither have they kept me from uncommon achievements.

Achievement, Challenges, Chronic, Kept, Mother, Uncommon

A surplus of effort could overcome a deficit of confidence.

Effort, Inspiring, Overcome, Overcoming, Surplus

When you marry young, you run the risk that you'll grow in different directions.

Different, Marry, Risk, Run, Running, Young

The first case I sat on. . . was Citizens United. Talk about being thrown in. Needless to say, if I was scared before, I was terrified.

Citizens United, Firsts, Scared, Talk, United

If the system is broken, my inclination is to fix it rather than to fight it. I have faith in the process of the law, and if it is carried out fairly, I can live with the results, whatever they may be.

Broken, Fighting, Inclination, Law, Live

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