# Sonia Sotomayor Associate Justice of the Supreme Court since 2009, the first Hispanic and Latina member of the Court. Appointed by [[Barack Obama]]. Sotomayor is the liberal wing's most vocal dissenter, particularly in cases involving criminal justice, immigration, and racial discrimination, and her dissents in the supermajority era serve as the Court's internal record of what the law would look like without the conservative capture. ## Background Born June 25, 1954, in the Bronx, New York, to Puerto Rican parents. Raised in public housing. Princeton University (BA 1976, summa cum laude, Pyne Prize), Yale Law School (JD 1979, editor of the Yale Law Journal). Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan under Robert Morgenthau (1979–1984). Private practice at Pavia & Harcourt (1984–1992). Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (appointed by George H.W. Bush, 1992–1998). Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (appointed by [[Bill Clinton]], 1998–2009). Confirmed to the Supreme Court 68–31 in August 2009. ## Role on the Current Court Sotomayor is the most consistent liberal voice on a Court dominated by a 6-3 conservative supermajority. Her dissents in major cases have been particularly noted: - **Dobbs dissent (2022):** Co-authored with Breyer and Kagan, warning the majority had abandoned stare decisis and would encourage future reversals of established rights - **[[Trump v. United States]] dissent (2024):** Wrote that the majority had made the president "a king above the law," concluding: "With fear for our democracy, I dissent" - **Students for Fair Admissions dissent (2023):** Criticized the majority for ignoring the reality of ongoing racial inequality At 71 and with a long history of Type 1 diabetes, Sotomayor's health has been a subject of political concern — particularly given the lesson of RBG's refusal to retire during Obama's presidency. ## See Also - [[Supreme Court of the United States]] — The institution where she serves as the liberal wing's anchor - [[Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization]] — Her most noted dissent - [[Ruth Bader Ginsburg]] — Fellow liberal justice whose death reshaped the Court