By Veronica Mackey

      For the first time in history, a Latina is being considered for a seat in the nation's highest court.  President Obama nominated federal judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court Tuesday.

            The 54-year-old appeals court judge would replace Justice David H. Souter, who will be retiring.  Souter was appointed  to the Supreme Court by President George H.W. Bush, but is considered one of the more liberal members. 

            Who is Judge Sonia Sotomayor?  Until Tuesday, few people outside of politics had heard of her.  Once Obama made the announcement, things quickly changed.  Opposition from Republicans was almost immediate.  Blocking her confirmation, is a delicate situation for the right, who run the risk of alienating both Latino and women voters, widening the gap between the GOP and these growing demographic groups.

            Sotomayor has served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit since October 1998. She is a distinguished graduate of Yale and Princeton Universities. The Puerto Rican-born daughter of hard working immigrant parents grew up in a public housing project in the South Bronx. After graduating from  Yale Law School, Sotomayor became an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan in 1979, where she tried dozens of criminal cases over five years. She entered private practice in 1984, and became a partner at the law firm of Pavia and Harcourt in 1988.
            She was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by President George H.W. Bush in 1992.  She was the court's youngest member.   From 1992 to 1998, she presided over roughly 450 cases.

            Judge Sotomayor has also been credited with saving baseball  In 1995, she issued an injunction against Major League Baseball owners, effectively ending a baseball strike that had become the longest work stoppage in professional sports history and had caused the cancellation of the World Series the previous fall.
            President Clinton appointed Judge Sotomayor to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1998. She is the first Latina to serve on that court, and has authored about 400 published opinions. In that position, the judge tried challenging cases ranging from constitutional law, to complex lawsuits involving business organizations. 

            Senate Republicans have downplayed her credentials, focusing instead on a pair of speeches in which Sotomayor said appellate courts are where "policy is made" and another in which she said a Latina would often "reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life." 

            Not surprisingly, her nomination has drawn criticism from far right icons like Rush Limbaugh.  Most recently, Sotomayor ruled against a group of white firefighters who claimed discrimination in hiring practices.  Conservatives have questioned her  intellect and labeled the judge a racist.   White House officials have defended Obama's pick, saying her comments in the speeches were taken out of context.    

            Introducing Sotomayor at the White House, Pres. Obama said:  “Walking in the door she would bring more experience on the bench, and more varied experience on the bench, than anyone currently serving on the United States Supreme Court had when they were appointed.

            He has asked for a speedy confirmation by the Senate.  Republicans have said they won't be rushed.