May 27 2009
Sotomayor Nominated to Supreme Court
President Obama selected Sonia Sotomayor, a judge on the U.S. Second District Court of Appeals, to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter. If confirmed by the Senate, Sotomayor would be the first Latina justice and would likely begin serving in October.
George H.W. Bush appointed Souter to the Supreme Court in 1991. Then-President Bush nominated Sotomayor to a federal judgeship in New York in 1992. Bill Clinton appointed Sotomayor to her current position in 1998.
Sotomayor turns 55 next month. Assuming good health, she could easily serve 20 years on the Supreme Court. She is considered a political centrist, as is Souter. That point is buoyed by the fact she received appointments from both Republican and Democratic presidents.
