The Sotomayor Record: Access to Justice

Today Alliance for Justice unveiled the first in a series of in-depth reports analyzing Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s record.

This first report focuses on the issue of Access to Justice, which encompasses a variety of legal issues including justiciability, preemption, stripping courts of their jurisdiction to hear certain claims, sovereign immunity, recovering attorneys’ fees, interpretations of statutes of limitations, and certifying classes for class-action litigation. These issues illustrate the important role courts play in ensuring equal justice for all. The report analyzes Judge Sotomayor’s record in each of these areas and finds that…

“Judge Sonia Sotomayor has a careful, cautious, and reasoned approach to access
to justice issues. Her rulings are well within the legal mainstream.
She closely follows precedent, and analyzes facts with meticulous detail.
Judge Sotomayor shows no bias for or against plaintiffs. She shows
sensitivity toward persons bringing claims, but always grounds her decision
making on the law and binding authority.”

Visit our Supreme Court Watch page for more information and to read the report in its entirety.

President Should Add Strong Voice to Supreme Court

With Justice David Souter retiring, President Obama has an opportunity to add to the Supreme Court a strong voice for upholding the Constitution to ensure equal justice and basic freedoms for all.

This is particularly urgent after eight years during which federal judges were appointed who put their own political agenda ahead of the Constitution, applying one set of rules for those at the top and another for the rest of us.

Republicans in the Senate cannot be allowed to obstruct the best possible nomination. Most of them will oppose any nominee regardless; little would be accomplished by choosing someone who will not be a strong voice for equal justice for all.

Many Republican senators, already on the defensive because their policies appeal to a rapidly shrinking number of voters, have said publicly on many occasions that they oppose the use of filibusters to prevent majority votes on judicial nominations. Their hypocrisy should be made clear if they fail to abide by their own principle.

The choice our very popular president makes will help shape justice in America and renew our commitment to core constitutional values. He should make a nomination that will leave a legacy befitting his historic presidency.