In the U.S. Supreme Court’s 228 year history, there have been 114 judges, and of these 114 judges, four have been women and three have been people of color. To date, there has only been one woman of color to ever hold this position: Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Nominated to the court by former president Barack Obama in 2009, Sotomayor's ascension to the country's highest court was a monumental achievement for women of color and Latinx people across the country. Unlike the recent Brett Kavanaugh appointment, which was approved by a slim two-vote margin, Sotomayor was appointed to the court with a 68-31 majority after only three days of debate in the Senate. She was 55 years old at the time, and the first justice appointed to the court by a Democratic president since 1994.
In her nine years on the court, Sotomayor has authored over 150 decisions. The Supreme Court justice made her mark on the court during her first case hearing, Citizens vs. Federal Election Commission, when she joined three other judges in the dissent that argued corporations shouldn’t be treated like individuals when it comes to political financing. Justice Sotomayor also defended affirmative action and aided in the historic marriage equality ruling in 2015. Most recently, Justice Sotomayor delivered a scathing dissent when the court upheld Donald Trump’s controversial travel ban.
As a self-described “Nuyorican”, Sotomayor’s place on the Supreme Court was a major win for Latinx representation in positions of power, and younger generations took notice. Sotomayor’s nomination was the first time many Latinx students saw themselves represented in the court of law, and one reason many decided to pursue careers in the judicial system.
For 24-year-old immigration-law student Lilianna Romero, seeing Sotomayor become a Supreme Court justice was a pivotal moment in her life. Before Sotomayor’s appointment, Romero tells Teen Vogue she was uncertain about attending law school, but after seeing a Latinx woman become a justice, her decision to pursue a law degree was all but cemented.
“Sonia Sotomayor inspires me every day as a Latinx student, in the sense that I can see someone from the same background as me accomplish what I want to accomplish one day,” Romero says. “Her appointment as a justice has influenced the way I approach the law. I am now more confident that I belong in this profession just as much as everyone else.”
The UC Davis law student emphasizes that Sotomayor’s influence will extend to future generations as well. “She serves to show everyone that [Latinx people] are here to break norms and succeed. Future generations can see themselves in her and feel represented in our government,” Romero says. “She is creating a domino effect of strong Latinxs who will teach each other, support each other, and always strive for the very best.”
Law-school hopeful Jazmine Santacruz echoes Romero’s sentiments, saying she hopes Sotomayor’s spot on the court will show other Latinx students that “law school is not just for affluent white males,” and that being an attorney can help give a voice to underrepresented communities and “create change among systematically oppressive laws.”
“I have realized how incredibly important it is to see someone that looks like me hold such a high position in the legal court system of the United States,” 27-year-old Santacruz tells Teen Vogue. “Knowing that there is someone who holds this ability to spark change and comes from a similar background makes me hopeful for the future of our legal system. We are finally starting to get more representation and voices from marginalized groups.”
For Yale Law student Sarah Camiscoli, Sotomayor influenced her not only as a future lawyer, but as a teacher and student advocate. “Her story inspired me to honor my family's history in the Bronx, to elevate the sacrifices that my parents made to send me to school, and to take responsibility for my power to enact institutional change,” she tells Teen Vogue. “Her work at Princeton University, leading activism for diversity in the hiring faculty, inspired me to be courageous in my advocacy for school reform.”
Camiscoli is the founder of IntegrateNYC, an organization dedicated to designing solutions for school integration and equity. She says Sotomayor’s life-work has legitimized her efforts to expand the conversation around culturally responsive curriculum and hiring practices in the eyes of many local policy makers.
New York University law student Maryam Sonboli agrees, telling Teen Vogue that Sotomayor’s achievements prove it’s possible for a Latinx woman to serve at the highest level of the U.S. legal system.
“Trailblazers like Justice Sotomayor demonstrate that Latina success is not only possible in a hypothetical sense, but also plausible and within reach for those of us who don't come from backgrounds of privilege,” the 23-year-old law student says. “It’s difficult for people to want to pursue prestigious careers when the people that hold those sorts of positions look nothing like you. Justice Sotomayor is a role model and an example of the type of success that students can achieve.”
At 64, Sotomayor’s far-reaching inspiration and extensive work, both on the Supreme Court and earlier in her career, have made her a force to be reckoned with. Seated among the other eight justices, Sotomayor is a face for future Latinx students to look up to and be inspired by. She is proof that neither your gender or the color of your skin can hinder your ability to achieve your dreams.
“Sotomayor inspires Latinx students to be unstoppable in their ambition, to have integrity with their values, and to have pride in their story of resilience,” Camiscoli says.
And she’s right. Having Latinx representation and visibility in the most powerful positions in the U.S. judicial system will change the future of American politics. Future generations of Latinx students will see themselves represented in a predominately white sector, be inspired by Sotomayor’s pioneering efforts, and use their voices to advance American society into the 21st century.
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