NOW Celebrates Landmark Confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor to Supreme Court

	For Immediate Release Contact: Mai Shiozaki, 202-628-8669, ext. 116; cell 202-641-1906 NOW Celebrates Landmark Confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor to Supreme Court Statement of NOW President Terry O'Neill History was made today when the Senate confirmed Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court. The National Organization for Women proudly celebrates Sotomayor's landmark achievement as the first Hispanic justice to sit on the high court and just the third woman justice. Judge Sotomayor will bring more federal judicial experience to the court than any justice in 100 years, and more overall judicial experience than anyone confirmed in the past 70 years. In addition to her exemplary qualifications, Sotomayor will bring an important viewpoint to the bench. Though it was a difficult concept for some senators to grasp, Sotomayor's experience as a member of two groups who often experience discrimination in this country can only help to broaden the court's perspective on inequity and help advance the cause of equality and justice for all. Women have every reason to be outraged about gender disparity on the Supreme Court. When Sotomayor joins Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the court this fall, women will occupy a whopping 22 percent of the bench. Sixteen years passed between the confirmations of Ginsburg and Sotomayor, and three men were elevated to the high court during that time. At that unacceptable rate, it could take decades, maybe even centuries, to achieve a gender balanced court. There's no excuse to wait for equality: NOW calls for every open seat on the Supreme Court to be filled by a woman until there are four, if not five women justices. ###
	Posted by: Jerin Alam National NOW Young Feminist Task Force National Organization for Women (NOW)

NOW.org | Press Room | View Online | Subscribe | Unsubscribe, Edit Profile

Judiciary Committee Sees the Wisdom in Voting for Sotomayor

	For Immediate Release Contact: Mai Shiozaki, 202-628-8669, ext. 116; cell 202-641-1906 Judiciary Committee Sees the Wisdom in Voting for Sotomayor NOW applauds the Senate Judiciary Committee's 13 to 6 vote recommending confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court. "At the risk of upsetting Senator Sessions, I am pleased that this 'wise Latina' is one step closer to joining Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the high court," said NOW President Terry O'Neill. "As the first Hispanic justice and only the third woman, Judge Sotomayor will add a much needed perspective to a bench dominated by white males." The full Senate is expected to vote on Sotomayor's confirmation by the end of next week. NOW will be watching the vote closely. "Racism and sexism have driven far too much of the public discourse about the superbly qualified Sotomayor, and all the fiery temperaments on display last week during her Senate confirmation hearing -- those outrageous questions and comments -- seemed to belong to privileged white men," said O'Neill. "Sotomayor's impressive experience should guarantee her a strong vote on the floor, and her notable rise to the high court should serve as inspiration to women and girls across the country and around the world."

NOW.org | Press Room | View Online | Subscribe | Unsubscribe, Edit Profile Posted by: Jerin Alam National NOW Young Feminist Task Force National Organization for Women (NOW)

I Stand with Sotomayor

Today, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary will begin its hearing on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Throughout the week, Sotomayor for Justice will be providing complete coverage and analysis of the hearings from the best legal experts in the country.

Working with our partners, we have compiled over 350 articles and reference materials to keep you informed on the facts and record of Judge Sotomayor going into today's hearings and will post analysis from our experts daily and in real-time through our blog and on Twitter.

Please note we have received word that Judge Sonia Sotomayor's opening statement at her confirmation hearings will be earlier than originally expected. Sotomayor is now expected to make her opening statement at 2pm Eastern.

Here are 5 simple ways you can show your support for Sotomayor.

Live Stream of Confirmation Hearings
Sotomayor for Justice will live stream every minute of the hearings as a public service to help inform and educate everyone about the qualifications, experience, and commitment to justice that Judge Sotomayor has exemplified in her life and career.

Find a Watch Party
Join others in your community and come out and join a watch party. Watch the hearings, join in the conversation, and make new friends.

Sotomayor for Justice Blog
Read and comment on the expert opinion of legal analyst on our blog. You don't have to be a lawyer to comment and show your support for Sotomayor.

Nomination Tweets
Sotomayor for Justice will track all of the conversations on Twitter around her nomination in real time. Anytime, anyone, anywhere, tweets about Sotomayor we'll pick it up and report it to you.

Free Poster Download (and more)
Show your support by downloading your free poster of "I Stand with Sotomayor".

The community is bursting with pride and excitement over the pending confirmation of Judge Sotomayor. She has an impeccable record of accomplishment and possesses all of the credentials and experience that make her worthy of serving on the nation’s highest court. We look forward to making her confirmation hearings accessible to everyone and to share in this historical event.


Sincerely,
Henry Solano
Henry Solano
Interim President and General Counsel
MALDEF

P.S. Be sure to tell your friends and family. They'll appreciate the reminder!

Posted by:
Jerin Alam
National NOW Young Feminist Task Force
National Organization for Women (NOW)

THF: Sonia Sotomayor

Hmm...a Hispanic woman on the Supreme Court of the United States. Hmm...

WAKE UP, SABRINA! YOU'RE DREAMING. Sigh. I hate waking u---WAIT.

Obama to name Sotomayor as Supreme Court pick

A Puerto Rican woman? Who served on the board of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund? The first Latino...wait, no...Latina! Who worked to "provide mortgage insurance coverage to low-income housing and AIDS hospices"? An editor of the Yale Law Journal? Who was "considered as a potential Supreme Court Justice by both Republican and Democratic presidents"? With a pretty impressive resume outside of that, too?

I'll be whistling today.

The Happy Feminist (THF): Sandra Day O'Connor

Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was on The Daily Show recently! You can watch the full episode here.

In her interview she explains that only 1/3 of Americans can "even name the three branches of government, much less say what they do" (at about 13:30).

She was promoting her new civics education website Our Courts. The site looks really well-done. Anyone here going for education? Would you find this useful?


(PS: I know I linked the Post; the link is for a useful project, though I know the newspaper editor is completely unprofessional, to say the least)