Supreme court

May 26, 2009 -- THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Well, I'm excited, too. (Laughter.)

Of the many responsibilities granted to a President by our Constitution, few are more serious or more consequential than selecting a Supreme Court justice. The members of our highest court are granted life tenure, often serving long after the Presidents who appointed them. And they are charged with the vital task of applying principles put to paper more than 20 [sic] centuries ago to some of the most difficult questions of our time.    » read more »

May 27, 2009 -- Fellow Second Circuit Judge Guido Calabresi on Sotomayor: "She’s Always a Very Forceful and Powerful Judge. She Has, Not on a Insignificant Number of Occasions, Caused Me to Change My Mind." "Judge Guido Calabresi, a fellow judge on the 2nd Circuit Court who taught the young Sotomayor torts at Yale, said she was the one who organized dinners for the judges on the court and their spouses. But he was also quick to praise her for her work on the bench. ‘She's always a very forceful and powerful judge,’ Calabresi said. ‘She has, not on an insignificant number of occasions, caused me to change my mind. I would read one of the memos she had written on a case and say, "I think she's got it and I don't."’" [Los Angeles Times, 5/27/09]    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV issued the following statement following President Obama’s selection of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for United States Supreme Court Justice, to replace Justice David Souter:

“Judge Sotomayor is an honorable and wise choice for the Supreme Court of the United States. If confirmed, she will bring to the high court an almost unprecedented level of judicial and legal experience and a reputation for carefully balanced and research-based decision-making.    » read more »

05/26/2009 -- WASHINGTON -- United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today made the following statement about President Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court. If confirmed, Sotomayor will become the third woman to serve on the nation's highest court and the first Hispanic Justice.

Sen. Landrieu said:

"Judge Sonia Sotomayor is a historic choice for the bench. Her credentials are stellar, and I look forward to getting to know her better through the confirmation process."    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- Senator Ted Kaufman (D-DE), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on the President’s nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the announced departure of Justice David Souter.

"In nominating Judge Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, President Obama has made the most of his first opportunity to apply his mandate for change to the nation's highest court. The President has selected a nominee with impeccable legal credentials and a record of excellence and integrity. Equally important, Judge Sotomayor has just the sort of experience, both on and off the bench, not only to make an excellent justice, but also to make a significant impact on a court that today reflects too narrow a slice of America.    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - US Senator Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) released the following statement today in response to President Barack Obama's nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court.

"I am pleased to hear President Obama has nominated Judge Sotomayor to the Supreme Court," Hagan said.

"Certainly the historic nature of this nomination - the first female Hispanic on this court - is important. But more so than her identity, I am impressed by her record of service.

"I look forward to hearing more about Judge Sotomayor and her record as a jurist throughout the confirmation process."

Source: Senator Kay R. Hagan

May 26, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, United States Senator Roland W. Burris issued a statement on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court:

“As a former Attorney General, I applaud President Obama’s selection of Judge Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee to replace Justice Souter in the United States Supreme Court,” said Senator Burris.

“Judge Sotomayor has demonstrated over her distinguished career that she has a firm grasp of constitutional law, an even judicial temperament, and first-hand knowledge of how the legal system can impact the lives others.

"Throughout her career, Judge Sotomayer has worked to build consensus among fellow judges that may not share her views about a particular issue.    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- There is no question that nominating a Supreme Court Justice is amongst a president’s most important responsibilities. In replacing Justice Souter, the President has vowed to seek someone with a sharp and independent mind, and a record of excellence and integrity. As a former constitutional law professor, he believes it paramount to select someone who rejects ideology and shares his deep respect for the Constitutional values on which this nation was founded.    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- Sonia Sotomayor has served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit since October 1998. She has been hailed as "one of the ablest federal judges currently sitting" for her thoughtful opinions,i and as "a role model of aspiration, discipline, commitment, intellectual prowess and integrity"ii for her ascent to the federal bench from an upbringing in a South Bronx housing project.    » read more »

05/26/2009 -- WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement on President Obama's nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court of the United States:

"I applaud President Obama's choice to nominate Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court. Today's announcement demonstrates the president's commitment to bring greater diversity of thought, perspective and experience to the nation's legal system. The daughter of working-class Puerto Rican parents, Judge Sotomayor grew up in public housing reading Nancy Drew books, which sparked her interest in the law profession.    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar released the following statement on President Obama’s nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court:

“President Obama has made an historic and wise nomination in Judge Sotomayor for the Supreme Court of the United States.

"Her three decades of experience as a lawyer and a judge is stellar in every way; from serving as prosecutor to trial court judge and appellate court judge, she has earned distinction at every level and has proven to be a fair, tough, champion for the law. Moreover, her life journey from the South Bronx to the pinnacle of her profession embodies the American dream and reflects her unwavering commitment to education, hard work, and opportunity for all.    » read more »

Statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive Director

May 26, 2009 -- San Francisco, CA: "The Sierra Club today praised President Obama for the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. With a long record as a thoughtful, intelligent and fair-minded judge, we look forward to the confirmation process for Judge Sotomayor. Her life story and extensive legal experience make her an excellent nominee for the Court."

"Today's historic nomination reaffirms the importance of selecting nominees in all branches of government that reflect America's diversity. Our different backgrounds strengthen us in our efforts to protect the natural and human environment, and we fully expect decades of exemplary public service from Judge Sotomayor."    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- “This historic nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court sends a strong signal that President Obama understands the importance of ensuring that our Supreme Court justices respect precedent while also protecting our civil liberties.

“Judge Sotomayor has vast experience in nearly every aspect of the law, having served as a big-city prosecutor and a corporate litigator, a federal trial judge on the U.S. District Court, and an appellate judge on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.    » read more »

Confirm Sotomayor Based On Her Record, Not Partisan Politics, Says NAACP President; Reasoned And Expeditious Non-Partisan Hearings Will Serve Nation Best

May 26, 2009 -- After leaving the White House announcement Tuesday morning with President Barack Obama, NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous applauded the historic nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who would be the first Hispanic, and third woman, to serve on the Supreme Court.    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- America’s workers applaud the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court. She is a brilliant jurist and in her distinguished career has worked at almost every level of our judicial system - as a prosecutor, litigator, trial court and appellate judge – and would bring more federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any justice in 100 years.

Judge Sotomayor will also bring to the Supreme Court a direct and personal understanding of the struggles America’s workers endure every day. She grew up in public housing in the Bronx, the daughter of a factory worker, and understands the real world consequences of the decisions she makes from the bench.    » read more »