New York City bar: Sotomayor ‘highly qualified’ for Supreme Court, gives her highest rating

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 6th, 2009 GOP Sen. Gregg to vote for SotomayorWASHINGTON — Republican Sen. Judd Gregg says he'll vote for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, breaking with most of his fellow Republicans.

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.

August 5th, 2009 GOP Sen. Bond says he'll vote for SotomayorWASHINGTON — Republican Sen. Kit Bond says he'll support Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, breaking with the vast majority of the GOP.

August 3rd, 2009 McCain to oppose Sotomayor for Supreme CourtWASHINGTON — Republican Sen. John McCain says he'll oppose Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor when the Senate votes on her confirmation this week.

July 23rd, 2009 Chamber backs Sotomayor as she meets with GOPWASHINGTON — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is endorsing Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor (SOHN'-ya soh-toh-my-YOR'), calling her a well-qualified judge who would be fair and evenhanded on business issues.

July 17th, 2009 Senate's lone Hispanic Republican backs SotomayorWASHINGTON — The Senate's lone Hispanic Republican says he'll vote for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Florida Republican Mel Martinez calls Sotomayor well-qualified and says he takes great pride as a Hispanic American in her historic achievement.

July 16th, 2009 Sotomayor can get by on justice's payWASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor says she's lived on a judge's salary for 17 years, and she can, in her words, "suffer through more of it." Supreme Court justices make a little more than $200,000 a year. Sotomayor was responding Thursday to questions from Republican Sen.

July 16th, 2009 Morgenthau praises Sotomayor for high courtWASHINGTON — Veteran New York district attorney Robert Morgenthau is praising one of his former assistants, Sonia Sotomayor, as someone who can be an "outstanding" member of the Supreme Court. Morgenthau told the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday that as an assistant district attorney, Sotomayor understood the importance of every criminal case to the victim.

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 14th, 2009 Sotomayor vows to use even hand in judging casesWASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has vowed to not let her personal views affect how she would rule on cases from the nation's highest court. In an exchange with the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, Sotomayor said she believes comments she has made about the value of life's experiences have been misinterpreted by her critics.

July 7th, 2009 NRA raises 'very serious concerns' on SotomayorWASHINGTON — The National Rifle Association says it has very serious concerns about Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor based on her rulings on weapons rights. But NRA Executive Director Chris W.

July 7th, 2009 Top Republican hits Sotomayor on firefighters caseWASHINGTON — The Senate's top Republican suggested Tuesday that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor lets racial bias cloud her rulings, even as a national lawyers' group rated her "well-qualified" to be a justice. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Sotomayor's federal appeals court ruling last year against white firefighters alleging reverse discrimination leaves the impression she allows her own agenda to affect her judgment and she favors certain groups.

July 7th, 2009 Lawyers' group: Sotomayor well qualified for courtWASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor earned a "well-qualified" rating from the American Bar Association on Tuesday as she prepared for Senate hearings next week. The ABA committee that reviewed her qualifications came out with that unanimous rating of the federal appeals court judge and released it in a letter to White House lawyer Greg Craig.

June 9th, 2009 Law enforcement groups endorse SotomayorWASHINGTON — Eight national law enforcement organizations are endorsing President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. The groups announced their support for the judge at the White House.