Nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the
Supreme Court a Landmark First
Statement of Lorraine Cole, ph.d. - ceo, ywca usa

President Obama’s nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace Justice Souter on the Supreme Court is a historic landmark for the nation, for women and people of color. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she would be the first Hispanic woman to serve on the highest court in the land.

Judge Sotomayor has diverse legal experience, serving at almost every level of the judicial system – local prosecutor, corporate litigator,federal trial court judge, federal appellate court judge – as well as a law professor. She has participated in over 3,000 decisions and authored nearly 400 legal opinions. If confirmed, she would bring more federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any justice in 100 years and more overall judicial experience than anyone confirmed for the Court in the past 70 years.

President Obama has said upholding constitutional values requires more than just the intellectual ability to apply a legal rule to a set of facts, but also a common sense understanding of how laws affect the realities of people’s lives. Toward that end, Judge Sotomayor’s perspectives are enhanced by her life experiences, having been born into a Puerto Rican immigrant family, growing up in modest economic circumstances in a Bronx public housing project, and being reared by a single mother after her father died when she was nine. She took advantage of every educational opportunity, worked very hard and excelled academically, graduating as class valedictorian from high school, summa cum laude from Princeton University and a law review editor at Yale Law School. The United States Supreme Court is a major force in shaping the social and racial justice landscape of the nation. Its rulings can override state laws and affect everycitizen in the country. Throughout history, landmark legislation affecting basic civilrights and women’s rights have been decided by the nine members of the SupremeCourt, each of whom holds a lifetime appointment.

For 150 years, the YWCA has worked to create a nation that promotes justice for all of its citizens, having been partof every phase of the civil rights movement and every wave of the women’smovement. Thus, the YWCA will be paying close attention to the confirmation proceedings of Judge Sotomayor, which, hopefully, will be completed before Congress recesses for the summer.

The YWCA USA is a national not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to social service, advocacy, education, leadership development, and racial justice. Its mission is the elimination of racism and empowerment of women. Established in the United States in 1858, the YWCA is the oldest and largest national women’s organization, and celebrating its 150th anniversary. Through its nearly 300 affiliated local YWCAs and its headquarters in Washington, D.C., the YWCA serves 2.5 million women and girls each year. Globally, the YWCA USA is a member of World YWCA, which has affiliates in 122 countries that serve 25 million women and girls worldwide.