Research Guides: Sonia Sotomayor: Biography

Sonia Sotomayor (Born on June 25, 1954)

Sotomayor was born in the Bronx borough of New York City on June 25, 1954. Her mother and father were both from Puerto Rico, and both were uneducated. She grew up among other Puerto Ricans in New York, and she did not become fluent in English until about the age of nine. By that time, she had been diagnosed with diabetes, requiring her to take daily insulin injections. At an early age, Sotomayor became a “true media child,” reading Nancy Drew books and watching the television show Perry Mason.. The latter proved influential on Soto-mayor’s decision to pursue law. “I noticed that Perry Mason was involved in a lot of the same kinds of investigative work that I had been fascinated with reading Nancy Drew, so I decided to become a lawyer,” she said. “Once I focused on becoming a lawyer, I never deviated from that goal.” Continue . . .

Source: "Sotomayor, Sonia Maria." Gale Encyclopedia of American Law, edited by Donna Batten, 3rd ed., vol. 9, Gale, 2010, pp. 269-271. From Gale Virtual Reference database.

Book Collection

Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx / La juez que crecio en el Bronx

Resources

A Conversation with Justice Sonia Sotomayor An interview with U.S. Justice Sonia Sotomayor is presented. Topics tackled include her personal style in her public appearances, her book and her judicial opinions, what judges find to be especially hard and challenging and how she dealt with double standards as a woman in the legal field. Her advice to young women as they enter their legal careers is also presented.
Justice Sotomayor and the Sense of Respect The article discusses the kinds of respect emphasized by U.S. Justice Sonia Sotomayor in her speech on April 3, 2017 when she received the Kate Stoneman Award. The kinds of respect tackled include respect for one's self and one's human feelings, respect for the legal system and respect for one's adversaries.
The Power of Words Interview with Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Overheard with Evan Smith: Sonia Sotomayor Justice Sonia Sotomayor was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Barack Obama in 2009. She is the first Latino to serve on the country's highest court, and the third woman. Her book, My Beloved World was recently published.
A Conversation with Justice Sonia Sotomayor Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Robert Yablon, Professor at the UW Law School, and Lindsey Powell, Former Clerk to Justice Sotomayor, provide a glimpse into the inner workings of the Supreme Court. Yablon and Powell clerked for Justice Sotomayor during her first year on the court.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor: 2018 National Book Festival U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor discusses her new books "Turning Pages: My Life Story" and "The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor" with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden at the 2018 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.
Sonia Sotomayor Nominated For Supreme Court President Barack Obama nominated federal appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday to replace retiring Justice David Souter. If confirmed by the Senate, Judge Sotomayor would be the nation's first Hispanic Supreme Court justice and would become the second woman justice on the nine-member high court. Sotomayor's appointment is not expected to change the political divide on the court because she would replace a retiring liberal justice. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington.
President Obama Hosts a Reception for Justice Sotomayor President Obama hosts a reception at the White House honoring Justice Sonia Sotomayor following her confirmation to the Supreme Court. After the Presidents remarks celebrating her achievement, Justice Sotomayor expresses her gratitude for her confirmation. August 12, 2009. (Public Domain)