ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor talked to law students about her family, the collegial relationship among her fellow justices and the roles of passion and empathy in a legal career, but made no mention of the U.S. Senate confirmation hearings of Neil Gorsuch in an appearance this week at Albany Law School.
“We can disagree about the best answer, but it’s all born from the same passion about the law,” Sotomayor said in response to a student’s question about whether anger over differing judicial opinions makes it hard to have a collegial court.
“What gets people to listen to you is your passion, not your anger,” she said.
Sotomayor roamed through the lecture hall, at times embracing a student or posing for a group photo as she talked about her life. But she steered clear of politics.
Sotomayor was given with the school’s Kate Stoneman Award, presented annually to people in the legal profession who have demonstrated a commitment to seeking change and equal opportunities for women.
Sotomayor was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2009. She’s the third woman and first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court.
