Obama Makes His Pick

Second Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Sonia Sotomayor is nominated to replace Justice David H. Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sonia Sotomayor, a 54-year-old Federal Court of Appeals Judge of Puerto Rican descent, is President Barack Obama’s choice to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court created by the retirement of Justice David H. Souter.

The President made the announcement at a White House ceremony this morning with Judge Sotomayor at his side.

Born in the Bronx in 1954, Sotomayor is the daughter of a nurse and a factory worker. She was originally appointed to be a federal district court judge in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush. While serving as a district court judge, Sotomayor made the decision that she is perhaps best known for–issuing an injunction against major league baseball franchise owners that effectively ended an eight-month-long players strike. She was appointed to the Court of Appeals by President Bill Clinton in 1998.

If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic American to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.