Sonia Sotomayor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sonia Sotomayor
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Official portrait, 2009
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| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States | |
| Assumed office August 8, 2009 |
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| Nominated by | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | David Souter |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit | |
| In office October 7, 1998 – August 6, 2009 |
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| Nominated by | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | J. Daniel Mahoney |
| Succeeded by | Raymond Lohier |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York | |
| In office August 12, 1992 – October 7, 1998 |
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| Nominated by | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | John M. Walker Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Victor Marrero |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Sonia Maria Sotomayor
June 25, 1954 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Kevin Noonan
(m. 1976; div. 1983) |
| Education | |
| Signature |  |
Sonia Maria Sotomayor (born June 25, 1954) is an American lawyer and judge. She serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. President Barack Obama nominated her on May 26, 2009. She has been a justice since August 8, 2009. She is the third woman to serve on the Supreme Court. She is also the first woman of color, the first Hispanic, and the first Latina to hold this position.
In 2008, Esquire magazine named Sotomayor one of "The 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century."
Contents
- Sonia Sotomayor's Early Life
- College and Law School Education
- Sonia Sotomayor's Early Legal Career
- Federal District Judge Role
- Court of Appeals Judge Role
- Supreme Court Justice Role
- Other Activities and Public Speaking
- Awards and Special Honors
- Sonia Sotomayor's Personal Life
- Interesting Facts About Sonia Sotomayor
- See also
- Images for kids
Sonia Sotomayor's Early Life
Sonia Sotomayor was born in The Bronx, a part of New York City. Her parents came from Puerto Rico. Her father, Juan Sotomayor, worked with tools and dies. He did not speak English. Her mother, Celina Báez, worked as a telephone operator and later as a nurse.
Sonia's younger brother, Juan Sotomayor, later became a doctor and a university professor.
Sonia's father passed away when she was nine years old. He was 42.
Her mother believed strongly in education. She bought the Encyclopædia Britannica for her children.
Sotomayor went to Blessed Sacrament School. She was the top student there. She also had a nearly perfect attendance record. She then attended Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx. She graduated as the top student in her class in 1972.
College and Law School Education
Sotomayor attended Princeton University. She was a student activist there. She helped create a class about Puerto Rican history and politics. Sotomayor also joined student leadership groups.
In 1979, Sotomayor earned her law degree from Yale Law School. She became a lawyer in New York the next year.
Sonia Sotomayor's Early Legal Career
After law school, Sotomayor became an assistant district attorney in New York County in 1979. She worked hard to bring law and order to the city. She often worked 15-hour days. People knew her for being driven, prepared, and fair.
In 1984, she started working for a private law firm.
Besides her law firm work, Sotomayor also served the public. She was on the board of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund from 1980 to 1992. She helped make important decisions there. She worked on issues like hiring practices, police actions, and voting rights.
From 1985 to 1986, Sotomayor was on the board of the Maternity Center Association. This group worked to improve care for mothers.
Federal District Judge Role
On November 27, 1991, President George H. W. Bush nominated Sotomayor. She became a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
She was the youngest judge in that district. She was also the first Hispanic federal judge in New York State. She was the first Puerto Rican woman to serve as a judge in a U.S. federal court.
Court of Appeals Judge Role
On June 25, 1997, President Bill Clinton nominated Sotomayor again. This time, she became a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
She served on the Second Circuit for ten years. During that time, she heard appeals in more than 3,000 cases.
Supreme Court Justice Role
In May 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. This happened after Justice David Souter retired. The Senate approved her nomination in August 2009. The vote was 68 to 31. She became only the second judge to be nominated to three different judicial jobs by three different presidents.
As a Supreme Court Justice, Sotomayor is known for supporting the rights of people accused of crimes. She often speaks about making the justice system better. This includes looking at how police and prosecutors act, conditions in prisons, and how the death penalty is used.
Other Activities and Public Speaking
Sotomayor was a professor at New York University School of Law from 1998 to 2007. She also taught law at Columbia Law School starting in 1999. She was a member of the Board of Trustees for Princeton University from 2006 to 2011.
While on the Supreme Court, she has given speeches at many universities. These include New York University (2012) and Yale University (2013). Her speeches often talk about identity, the importance of diversity, and America's diverse population.
In January 2013, Sotomayor published her book called My Beloved World. It tells the story of her life up to 1992. The book received good reviews and became a New York Times Best Seller.
Awards and Special Honors
Sotomayor has received many honorary law degrees. These are special degrees given to honor her achievements. Some of the universities that have honored her include Princeton University (2001), Yale University (2013), and New York University (2012).
In 2002, she became a member of the American Philosophical Society. In 2013, she won the Woodrow Wilson Award from her old university, Princeton.
In June 2010, the housing complex where Sotomayor grew up was renamed after her. It is now called the Justice Sonia Sotomayor Houses. In 2011, a public high school in Los Angeles was also named after her.
In 2013, a painting of her and three other women Supreme Court Justices was shown. It featured Sandra Day O'Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Elena Kagan. The painting is in the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.
In 2019, she was added to the National Women's Hall of Fame.
In 2024, Sotomayor received the Radcliffe Medal. This award honors people who have made a big difference in society.
Sonia Sotomayor's Personal Life
On August 14, 1976, Sonia Sotomayor married Kevin Edward Noonan. They had dated since high school. The wedding was at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. She used the name Sonia Sotomayor de Noonan for a time. Her husband became a biologist and a patent lawyer.
Sotomayor and Noonan divorced in 1983. They did not have any children.
Interesting Facts About Sonia Sotomayor
- Sotomayor is the first Hispanic person to serve on the Supreme Court.
- She has always been a big fan of the New York Yankees.
- Sotomayor wanted to become a judge ever since she was in elementary school.
- She was inspired to become a lawyer by watching the Perry Mason TV show.
- While at Princeton University, Sotomayor helped Latino patients at a hospital by being an interpreter.
- Sotomayor is known for her strong opinions on issues of race, gender, and identity in her legal writings.
- In 2012, she appeared on the children's TV show Sesame Street. She showed how a judge hears a case.
- In January 2021, Sonia Sotomayor swore in Kamala Harris as the Vice President of the United States. This was a historic moment. Sotomayor is the first Woman of Color on the Supreme Court. Harris is the first Woman, African-American, and Asian American Vice President.
See also
In Spanish: Sonia Sotomayor para niños
- History of women in Puerto Rico
- List of Puerto Ricans
- List of justices of the Supreme Court of the United States
- List of United States Supreme Court justices by time in office
Images for kids
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Sotomayor in 2017
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