Latina nominated to Supreme Court; Scholars say nomination will be approved

Sen. Barbara Boxer's office released a statement in which she congratulated President Obama for "choosing such a highly qualified woman to sit on the United States Supreme Court."

"With eight men, one woman and no Hispanics currently sitting on the court, President Obama listened to voices like former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in recognizing that diversity on the bench is essential," Boxer said.

"Judge Sotomayor's life story serves as an inspiration, not just to every Hispanic and woman, but to every American, because in this country if you work hard, you can reach your dreams," she said.

Rep. Joe Baca, D-San Bernardino, said the announcement was huge.

"It's fantastic! I am totally elated," Baca said. "She is a qualified individual, a Hispanic, who will represent all individuals."

Sotomayor's nomination is significant to all Latinos regardless of what part of Spanish-speaking country to which they have connections, Baca said.

Baca said Republicans may be tough on her but she will withstand Senate hearings because she has the training and experience for the job.

Republicans will say she's not qualified for the seat, said Justin Crowe, Pomona College professor of politics whose expertise is the Supreme Court.

But she is among the top in her field and "that's going to be hard to stick," Crowe said.
Sotomayor, some say is a "two-fer" - a woman and person of color - yet she is much more than that, Crowe said.

As Latinos have gained political clout there has also been talk that the next Supreme Court nominee would be of Latino background, and Sotomayor is one of the highest ranking Latinas in the judicial system, he said.

She brings diversity to the court and will please women's rights advocates. Pleasing the entire constituency of the Democrats, which is made up of so many groups, is hard to do, Crowe said.

Those expecting Sotomayor to be an aggressive person who will serve as a spokesperson on the court for liberal issues, maybe disappointed, he said.

Sotomayor appears to be a deliberate, thoughtful woman, not particularly aggressive as a lawyer.

He nomination "fits the politics of the Obama administration and fits the politics of the time," Crowe said.

Charles Doskow, dean emeritus and professor of law at the University of La Verne's College of Law in Ontario, said Sotomayor has a negative in the form of a case from last year in which she sided with the city of New Haven, Conn., in a discrimination case brought by white firefighters.

In the case the city threw out results of a promotion test because too few minorities scored high enough. That case has gone to the Supreme Court, but Doskow doesn't see that holding her nomination back.

Sotomayor has had some of her decisions over turned by the Supreme Court but "any judge gets reversed," he said.

For some, the bigger question is what Sotomayor will be like if her nomination is approved, said Ralph Rossum, professor of government at Claremont McKenna College.

Souter "has been a member of the liberal team pretty much throughout his 19 years" on the Supreme Court, often being the fifth vote on the winning side of a variety of cases or the fourth on the losing side.

Souter and Sotomayor "both have extraordinary pedigrees," Rossum said, but "that doesn't mean you're going to be a leader on the court."

Ultimately Sotomayor will be confirmed, Rossum said.

"I can't imagine there will be any Democrats voting against her, and I can't imagine any Republicans voting against the first Hispanic woman," he said.

"Republicans historically are pretty accommodating on these sorts of matters and don't like to be labeled bigots," Rossum said.

Associated Press contributed to this report.