Maria Sotomayor Role Model

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Pages: 8

Often you may hear many Americans describing the belief of the American Dream, however some never truly understand the concept and are unable to fulfill that dream. Such was not the case with Sonia Maria Sotomayor, a Bronx native, who worked her way through the United States legal system and after many years of success was appointed in 2009 as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Sotomayor ensured that success was a necessity, and not an option, despite her tough childhood and upbringing. She has exemplified the belief of the American Dream and has become a role model for young adults, women, and the Latino community. Sotomayor was the elder of two children born to Jose Sotomayor and Celina Baez, both of Puerto Rican descent. They lived in a housing …show more content…
Unlike many prosecutors, she simply would not be pushed around by judges or by attorneys. Some judges were eager to dispose of cases cheaply to clear their calendars. ADA Sotomayor instead fought for the right conclusion in each case. (Washington Post 16) After her brief period of being a prosecutor, Sonia went on to open her own solo practice Sotomayor & Associates in 1984. She also worked as a civil attorney in the New York City law firm of Pavia & Harcourt for eight years. These years marked Sonia’s last as an attorney because she would join the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York as a federal district judge. Later, Barack Obama would appoint Sotomayor as the first Latina Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 2009. She replaced the retiring associate justice David Souter and was confirmed only four months later by a unanimous decision of 68-31 by the senate. While on the court, Sonia was known to side with liberal ideologies when the justices divided among the political lines. Despite only being an associate justice for a short time, Sonia had already received many high-ratings and approval from both