{
  "id": "R40649",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "R40649",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 370415,
      "date": "2009-09-15",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T02:17:05.553356",
      "title": "Judge Sonia Sotomayor: Analysis of Selected Opinions",
      "summary": "In May 2009, Supreme Court Justice David Souter announced his intention to retire from the Supreme Court. Several weeks later, President Obama nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, to fill his seat. To fulfill its constitutional \u201cadvice and consent\u201d function, the Senate considered Judge Sotomayor\u2019s extensive record\u2014compiled from years as a lawyer, prosecutor, district court judge, and appellate court judge\u2014to better understand her legal approaches and judicial philosophy. On August 6, the Senate confirmed Justice Sotomayor by a vote of 68-31, and she was sworn in on August 8.\nThis report provides an analysis of selected opinions authored by Judge Sotomayor during her tenure as a judge on the Second Circuit. Discussions of the selected opinions are grouped according to various topics of legal significance. As a group, the opinions belie easy categorization along any ideological spectrum. However, it is possible to draw some conclusions regarding Judge Sotomayor\u2019s judicial approach, both within some specific issue areas and in general.\nPerhaps the most consistent characteristic of Judge Sotomayor\u2019s approach as an appellate judge has been an adherence to the doctrine of stare decisis (i.e., the upholding of past judicial precedents). Other characteristics appear to include what many would describe as a careful application of particular facts at issue in a case and a dislike for situations in which the court might be seen as overstepping its judicial role.\nIt is difficult to determine the extent to which Judge Sotomayor\u2019s style as a judge on the Second Circuit will predict her style as a Supreme Court justice. However, as has been the case historically with other nominees, some of her approaches may be enduring characteristics.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "encoding": "utf-8",
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R40649",
          "sha1": "b8e3967212613d93281e682320785f8f0e38ee77",
          "filename": "files/20090915_R40649_b8e3967212613d93281e682320785f8f0e38ee77.html",
          "images": null
        },
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "encoding": null,
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R40649",
          "sha1": "9d7b61ac65a30d24786244f19ad0b4c80d53bfa2",
          "filename": "files/20090915_R40649_9d7b61ac65a30d24786244f19ad0b4c80d53bfa2.pdf",
          "images": null
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc821239/",
      "id": "R40649_2009Jul01",
      "date": "2009-07-01",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Judge Sonia Sotomayor: Analysis of Selected Opinions",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20090701_R40649_f9d049df8e2c8e37778d5e35cfaf71e07143fd00.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20090701_R40649_f9d049df8e2c8e37778d5e35cfaf71e07143fd00.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc700797/",
      "id": "R40649_2009Jun19",
      "date": "2009-06-19",
      "retrieved": "2015-08-27T16:20:31",
      "title": "Judge Sonia Sotomayor: Analysis of Selected Opinions",
      "summary": "This report provides an analysis of selected opinions authored by Judge Sotomayor during her tenure as a judge on the Second Circuit. Discussions of the selected opinions are grouped according to various topics of legal significance.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20090619_R40649_934ca4e74559822bad90538b16595b861c8710dc.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20090619_R40649_934ca4e74559822bad90538b16595b861c8710dc.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Law",
          "name": "Law"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Judges",
          "name": "Judges"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Women judges",
          "name": "Women judges"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Supreme Court nominations",
          "name": "Supreme Court nominations"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Supreme Court justices",
          "name": "Supreme Court justices"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Constitutional Questions"
  ]
}