Conclusion
July 2009
As this review demonstrates, Judge Sotomayor's record is one of balance, care, and case-specific rulings. While her decisions on legal issues of special concern to women are limited, she has approached these rights with respect, shown none of the hostility to them that marked some prior nominees to the Court, and has grounded her decisions in a search for precedent - which has also not been a characteristic of some past nominees. It is not surprising, therefore, that in a number of ways, both procedurally and on the merits, Judge Sotomayor has found on behalf of those seeking to assert their right to privacy, to nondiscrimination under the law, to protection by federal courts, and to their very access to the courts.
Judge Sotomayor's testimony at the hearings underscored the qualities that emerged from her legal record. She emphasized her respect for precedent - key for women who have secured hard-won legal rights and protections under statutes and the Constitution. And, while staying away from any commitments on how she would rule in future cases, she remained steadfast in her comfort with her record, and extremely knowledgeable about the "settled law" that she promised to respect.