At White House, newest Justice Sotomayor grateful to nation for unlikely rise

September 24th, 2009 Sotomayor got lost on way to White HouseWASHINGTON — A funny thing happened on Sonia Sotomayor's drive to Washington to be announced as President Barack Obama's first Supreme Court nominee: She got lost. The Supreme Court's first Hispanic justice told C-SPAN that a friend drove her from New York City to the District of Columbia the night before her appearance at the White House with Obama.

September 8th, 2009 Obama has school speech, Sotomayor event TuesdayWASHINGTON — A week after the planned speech first drew controversy, President Barack Obama is delivering an address to the nation's schoolchildren. He and Education Secretary Arne Duncan will host a group discussion Tuesday with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va., before the president speaks to students nationwide through C-SPAN television.

September 8th, 2009 Sotomayor takes her place on high court benchWASHINGTON — Justice Sonia Sotomayor has taken her seat at the Supreme Court in front of a packed courtroom that included President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. The ceremony Tuesday was just for show.

August 12th, 2009 Obama holds reception for new justice SotomayorWASHINGTON — The newest addition to the Supreme Court pays her nominator a visit Wednesday. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are to host a reception this morning for freshly minted Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic to sit on the high court.

August 12th, 2009 Obama, Sotomayor note her ascendancy to high courtWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama rejoiced Wednesday in the ascendancy of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, saying her achievement will be an inspiration for generations. "When Justice Sotomayor put her hand on that Bible and took that oath ...

August 12th, 2009 Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrated at White HouseWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama threw a big White House party Wednesday to celebrate Sonia Sotomayor as the Supreme Court's first Latino justice — and to publicly savor the victory sure to earn him points with politically potent Hispanics. The event — televised remarks from Obama and Sotomayor followed by a private reception for a few hundred supporters — was packed with Sotomayor's family and friends, lawmakers, issue advocates, Hispanic community leaders and two of her fellow Supreme Court justices.

August 8th, 2009 Sotomayor takes oath from Chief Justice RobertsWASHINGTON —Sonia Sotomayor became the Supreme Court's newest justice Saturday, pledging during a brief ceremony at the high court to defend the Constitution and administer impartial justice. Sotomayor, 55, is the first Hispanic justice and only the third woman in the court's 220-year history.

August 8th, 2009 Sotomayor is sworn in as Supreme Court justiceWASHINGTON —It's Justice Sotomayor now. Sonia Sotomayor has been sworn in as the Supreme Court's first Hispanic justice.

August 8th, 2009 Sotomayor to be sworn in as justice SaturdayWASHINGTON —Sonia Sotomayor, her family and friends are gathering at the Supreme Court for her swearing-in as the court's first Hispanic, third woman and 111th justice. Chief Justice John Roberts planned to preside at two oath-taking ceremonies Saturday allowing Sotomayor to begin her new job.

August 6th, 2009 Senate sets Thursday vote on SotomayorWASHINGTON — The Senate has agreed to vote Thursday on confirming Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice. The historic vote on President Barack Obama's first high court nominee will take place in midafternoon.

August 6th, 2009 Obama hails confirmation of SotomayorWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is lauding the barrier-breaking confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor to be the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court. Said the president: "With this historic vote, the Senate has affirmed that Justice Sotomayor has the intellect, the temperament, the history, the integrity and the independence of mind to ably serve on our nation's highest court." Sotomayor will be sworn in on Saturday and appear with Obama at the White House on Wednesday.

July 17th, 2009 Gingrich: Hard to tell how Sotomayor will voteATLANTA — Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Friday it's difficult to tell what kind of justice U.S.

July 16th, 2009 Sotomayor defies Coburn on gun rights argumentWASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor bluntly told a Republican senator there was no way she would say in the setting of a congressional hearing just how she'd rule on an important constitutional question. Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma pressed Sotomayor for the second day in a row to say under what circumstances she might accept — or rule — that there is a "fundamental" right to bear arms, as opposed to an "individual," or less pervasive, right.

July 14th, 2009 Sotomayor passes on chance to rate justicesWASHINGTON — Given a chance to say Tuesday which current Supreme Court justice or justices she most admires, Sonia Sotomayor took a pass. Answering a question from Wisconsin Democrat Herb Kohl, the 55-year-old Sotomayor declared: "To suggest that I admire one of the sitting Supreme Court justices would suggest that I think of myself as a clone of one of the judges.

July 13th, 2009 Leahy says Sotomayor follows rule of lawWASHINGTON — The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says Sonia Sotomayor will be a Supreme Court justice who's "committed to the law" and "not to ideology." Describing Sotomayor as an "outstanding" nominee at the start of her Senate confirmation hearing Monday, Sen. Patrick Leahy denounced what he described as efforts to distort Sotomayor's record and views.