Politics & LawCivil Rights
A legendary life
Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Maria Sotomayor
Born 1954
United States Supreme Court justice and the first Hispanic and Latina member of the Court.
Her story
A life that changed history
Sonia Sotomayor joined the Supreme Court in 2009 after serving as a federal trial and appellate judge. A graduate of Princeton and Yale Law School, she became the first Hispanic and Latina justice in United States history.
“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.”
“A Latina Judge’s Voice,” Judge Mario G. Olmos Memorial Lecture, 26 October 2001