Sotomayor, who was raised in a Bronx housing project and attended some of the nation's most prominent universities, spoke of the inspiration that both her family and the law have provided."I chose to be a lawyer and ultimately a judge because I find endless challenge in the complexities of the law," she said. "For as long as I can remember, I have been inspired by the achievement of our founding fathers. They set forward principles that have endured for more than two centuries. . . .
"It would be a profound privilege for me to play a role in applying those principles in the . . . controversies we face today," the president's nominee said. "I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences."
Sotomayor, 54, has a life story with a compelling narrative, the kind likely to appeal to many of the senators who will consider her confirmation to the high court.
Her parents moved to New York City from Puerto Rico during World War II, and Sotomayor was raised by her mother in housing projects in the South Bronx after her father, with a third-grade education, died during her childhood. Her father's death came one year after Sotomayor was diagnosed with diabetes -- a diagnosis she says spurred her to give up her dream of law enforcement for a career in law.
Sotomayor graduated from Princeton University and Yale University's Law School, where she was an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
"I stand on the shoulders of countless people," she said as the president presented her for nomination today.
"Yet there is one extraordinary person who is my life's inspiration," she said of her mother, in the audience. "My mother has devoted her life to my brother and me. . . . She often worked two jobs to help support us after Dad died. I have often said that I am all I am because of her. And I am only half the woman that she is."
Complete article in LA Times click here
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