I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences.
Sonia SotomayorRead
The worst thing you want is a willy-nilly judge who is swayed by the political whims of the era or the time. What you want is a judge who is thinking about what he or she is doing and is thinking about it in a principled way.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of an impartial and principled judge rather than one influenced by political pressures.
Sonia Sotomayor's quote underscores the significance of judicial integrity and the necessity for judges to act thoughtfully and with principles, free from the transient political influences that might sway their judgments. It highlights the critical role of ethics in the judiciary, advocating for a legal system where decisions are made based on justice rather than popular opinion.
Themes
JusticeJudiciaryPrinciplesEthicsImpartiality
In practice
Example use cases
During a legal seminar discussing the importance of ethics in the judiciary.
More from Sonia Sotomayor
All quotes →This wealth of experiences, personal and professional, have helped me appreciate the variety of perspectives that present themselves in every case that I hear.
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I was fifteen years old when I understood how it is that things break down: people can't imagine someone else's point of view.
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The truth is that since childhood I had cultivated an existential independence. It came from perceiving the adults around me as unreliable, and without it I felt I wouldn't have survived. I cared deeply for everyone in my family, but in the end I depended on myself.
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As you discover what strength you can draw from your community in this world from which it stands apart, look outward as well as inward. Build bridges instead of walls.
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There are uses to adversity, and they don't reveal themselves until tested. Whether it's serious illness, financial hardship, or the simple constraint of parents who speak limited English, difficulty can tap unexpected strengths.
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