U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. gives the judicial Oath to Judge Sonia Sotomayor on August 8 as her brother and mother look on. (Photo: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)
New Supreme Court Justice Approved
Judge Sonia Sotomayor is first Hispanic to sit on the nation's highest court
Judge Sonia Sotomayor (pronounced so-toe-my-OR) has made history. The United States Senate voted Thursday to confirm, or approve, Sotomayor, making her the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice. Sotomayor is the third woman to become a Justice of the Supreme Court. She follows Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
President Barack Obama spoke shortly after the Senate vote, which was 68 for Sotomayor and 31 against her.
"I'm pleased and gratified the Senate confirmed Judge Sotomayor," he said. "This is a wonderful day for Judge Sotomayor and her family. But I also think it's a wonderful day for America."
Sotomayor watched the historic vote from the New York City courthouse where she has served as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals, The Washington Post reported.
Path to the Court
Sotomayor's journey to the nation's highest court began in May, when President Barack Obama chose her as his nominee to replace retiring Justice David Souter.
In July, Sotomayor went through confirmation hearings before members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. For three days, she answered Senators' questions about her experience with the law.
The Judiciary Committee voted 13-6 to send Sotomayor's nomination to the full Senate. Senators then spent this week debating whether or not Sotomayor should be a Supreme Court Justice.
The new Justice will take a sacred oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States, probably within the next few days. In September, there will likely be a formal ceremony to officially welcome her to the Court. Sotomayor will take her place on the bench when the Court's new session begins in the fall.
Her Story
Sotomayor is 55 years old. She is the daughter of Puerto Rican immigrants who arrived in New York City during World War II.
Sotomayor's father died when she was 9 years old. Her mother, Celina, worked two jobs to support Sotomayor and her brother by herself. Sotomayor says her mother's sacrifices made her professional success possible.
Sotomayor has more than 30 years of experience in law. She has served as a federal judge since 1992. Before that, she worked as a lawyer in New York City.
What's Next?
Sotomayor will join eight other Justices on the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the head of the judicial branch of the U.S. government. As the nation's highest court, it represents the top level of legal authority in the country.
The Supreme Court checks the powers of Congress and the President. It does this by hearing cases that challenge laws passed by Congress and signed by the President. The Court also hears challenges to laws passed at the state level. By a majority vote of the Justices, the Court has the power to overturn any law that it considers unconstitutional, or not in agreement with the U.S. Constitution.
With the Court's power to strike down laws, each of its nine Justices has an enormous amount of influence. Justices can remain on the Court for the rest of their lives. They decide for themselves how long they stay. The men and women who serve on the Court can affect our nation's laws for years to come.
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Dante A. Ciampaglia also contributed to this report.
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