Sonia Maria Sotomayor is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, and has served since August 8, 2009. Sotomayor is the first Hispanic and Latina member of the Court. These Sonia Sotomayor quotes will motivate you.
Best Sonia Sotomayor Quotes
- “Success is its own reward, but failure is a great teacher too, and not to be feared.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “As you discover what strength you can draw from your community in this world from which it stands apart, look outward as well as inward. Build bridges instead of walls.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “Don’t let fear stop you. Don’t give up because you are paralyzed by insecurity or overwhelmed by the odds, because in giving up, you give up hope. Understand that failure is a process in life, that only in trying can you enrich yourself and have the possibility of moving forward. The greatest obstacle in life is fear and giving up because of it.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “I do know one thing about me: I don’t measure myself by others’ expectations or let others define my worth.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
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“Remember that no one succeeds alone. Never walk alone in your future paths.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “Experience has taught me that you cannot value dreams according to the odds of their coming true. Their real value is in stirring within us the will to aspire.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “When a young person, even a gifted one, grows up without proximate living examples of what she may aspire to become–whether lawyer, scientist, artist or leader in any realm–her goal remains abstract. Such models as appear in books or on the news, however inspiring or revered, are ultimately too remote to be real, let alone influential. But a role model in the flesh provides more than inspiration; his or her very existence is confirmation of possibilities one may have every reason to doubt, saying, ‘Yes, someone like me can do this.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
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“Don’t mistake politeness for lack of strength.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race, and to apply the Constitution with eyes open to the unfortunate effects of centuries of racial discrimination.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “The Latina in me is an ember that blazes forever.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor Quotes
- “Through reading, I escaped the bad parts of my life in the South Bronx. And, through books, I got to travel the world and the universe. It, to me, was a passport out of my childhood and it remains away – through the power of words – to change the world.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “There are no bystanders in life […] Our humanity makes us each a part of something greater than ourselves.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
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“Until we reach equality in education, we can’t reach equality in the larger society.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “As members of the judiciary tasked with intervening to carry out the guarantee of equal protection, we ought not sit back and wish away, rather than confront, the racial inequality that exists in our society.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “A surplus of effort could overcome a deficit of confidence.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences…our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “You can’t dream unless you know what the possibilities are.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “I have come to believe that in order to thrive, a child must have at least one adult in her life who shows her unconditional love, respect, and confidence.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor Quotes
- “In every position that I’ve been in, there have been naysayers who don’t believe I’m qualified or who don’t believe I can do the work. And I feel a special responsibility to prove them wrong.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “You make your life choices understanding that you might and do have to work harder to prove yourself.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
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“Pretending to be a princess is fun, but it is definitely not a career.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “A role model in the flesh provides more than inspiration; his or her very existence is confirmation of possibilities one may have every reason to doubt, saying, “Yes, someone like me can do this.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “We apply law to facts. We don’t apply feelings to facts.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor , Sonia Sotomayor quotes on law
- “You know, failure hurts. Any kind of failure stings. If you live in the sting, you will – undoubtedly – fail. My way of getting past the sting is to say no, I’m just not going to let this get me down.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “We educated, privileged lawyers, have a professional and moral duty to represent the underrepresented in our society, to ensure that justice exists for all, both legal and economic justice.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “The challenges I have faced – among them material poverty, chronic illness, and being raised by a single mother – are not uncommon, but neither have they kept me from uncommon achievements.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
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“To me, lawyering is the height of service – and being involved in this profession is a gift.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “I strive never to forget the real-world consequences of my decisions on individuals, businesses, and government.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “Every lawyer, no matter whom they represent, is trying to help someone, whether it’s a person, a corporation, a government entity, or a small or big business. To me, lawyering is the height of service – and being involved in this profession is a gift.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor Quotes
- “You always wonder whether the attacks on my capabilities came from an honest evaluation of my accomplishments or from stereotypical presumptions that we, people of color, just can’t do it, for some reason. This is, for an accomplished Latino, an accomplished African American, an accomplished anyone who disproves stereotypes, it’s a constant battle in your life.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
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“I’ve spent my whole life learning how to do things that were hard for me.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “I do believe that every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge regardless of their background or life experiences.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “Although wisdom is built on life experiences, the mere accumulation of years guarantees nothing.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “An alcoholic father, poverty, my own juvenile diabetes, the limited English my parents spoke – although my mother has become completely bilingual since. All these things intrude on what most people think of as happiness.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “I have always been actively involved in my community, belonging to organizations that promote the interests of Latinos. But I also know that the issues we confront are the same issues, in many respects, as the larger community. So what we do helps not just us but everybody.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “It really takes growing up to treasure the specialness of being different. Now I understand that I’ve gotten to enjoy things that others have not, whether it’s the laughter, the poetry of my Spanish language – I love Spanish poetry because my grandmother loved it – our food, our music. Everything about my culture has given me enormous education and joy.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
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“There are no bystanders in this life.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “I realized that people had an unreal image of me, that somehow I was a god on Mount Olympus. I decided that if I were going to make use of my role as a Supreme Court Justice, it would be to inspire people to realize that, first, I was just like them and second, if I could do it, so could they.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “The dynamism of any diverse community depends not only on the diversity itself but on promoting a sense of belonging among those who formerly would have been considered and felt themselves, outsiders.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “I don’t believe we should bend the Constitution under any circumstance. It says what it says. We should do honor to it.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “I have never had to face anything that could overwhelm the native optimism and stubborn perseverance I was blessed with.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “There are uses to adversity, and they don’t reveal themselves until tested. Whether it’s a serious illness, financial hardship, or the simple constraint of parents who speak limited English, the difficulty can tap unexpected strengths.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
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“I have never, ever focused on the negative of things. I always look at the positive.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “The truth is that since childhood I had cultivated existential independence. It came from perceiving the adults around me as unreliable, and without it I felt I wouldn’t have survived. I cared deeply for everyone in my family, but in the end I depended on myself.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “My diabetes is such a central part of my life… it did teach me discipline… it also taught me about moderation… I’ve trained myself to be super-vigilant… because I feel better when I am in control.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “I want to state upfront, unequivocally and without a doubt: I do not believe that any racial, ethnic or gender group has an advantage in sound judging. I do believe that every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge, regardless of their background or life experiences.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
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“Personal experiences affect the facts that judges choose to see.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “I am a New Yorker, and 7:00 A.M. is a civilized hour to finish the day, not to start it.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “We have to look and ensure that we’re paying attention to what we’re doing, so that we don’t reflexively institute processes and procedures that exclude people without thought.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “When everyone at school is speaking one language, and a lot of your classmates’ parents also speak it, and you go home and see that your community is different -there is a sense of shame attached to that. It really takes growing up to treasure the specialness of being different.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “The President [Barack Obama] had suggested that I not watch the news during the confirmation process. I assiduously followed his advice.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “If I write a book where all I’ve ever experienced is success, people won’t take a positive lesson from it. In being candid, I have to own up to my own failures, both in my marriage and in my work environment.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
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“My judicial philosophy is fidelity to the law.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “I came to accept during my freshman year that many of the gaps in my knowledge and understanding were simply limits of class and cultural background, not lack of aptitude or application as I’d feared.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “Although I grew up in very modest and challenging circumstances, I consider my life to be immeasurably rich.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “. . . But experience has taught me that you cannot value dreams according to the odds of their coming true. Their real value is instirring within us the will to aspire. That will, wherever it finally leads, does at least move you forward. And after a time you may recognize That the proper measure of success is not how much you’ve closed the distance to some far-off goal but the quality of what you’ve done today.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences. Today is one of those experiences.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “I don’t have a professional aspiration. But I do have a personal one: I want to continue growing as a person. I want to reach out more to people, learn more from them. Ultimately, I would like to be a great justice that people remember with respect and fondness.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
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“Diabetes taught me discipline.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “I savor life. When you have anything that threatens life… it prods you into stepping back and really appreciating the value of life and taking from it what you can.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “If you’re poor, you don’t often live near a good school. If it’s a competitive public school program, our kids are not prepared to enter those programs.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “I can and do aspire to be greater than the sum total of my experiences, but I accept my limitations. I willingly accept that we who judge must not deny the differences resulting from experience and heritage but attempt, as the Supreme Court suggests, continuously to judge when those opinions, sympathies and prejudices are appropriate.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “Outside of the marriage context, can you think of any other rational basis, reason, for a state using sexual orientation as a factor in denying homosexuals benefits or imposing burdens on them? Is there any other rational decision-making that the government could make? Denying them a job, not granting them benefits of some sort, any other decision?” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
- “If your child marches to a different beat, a different drummer, you might just have to go along with that music. Help them achieve what’s important to them.” ~ Sonia Sotomayor
