When Sotomayor was at Cornell
Among the materials Supreme Court Justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor submitted to Congress recently is a speech she gave at the Cornell Law School in 2007.
During that visit, sponsored by the Latino Law Students Association, Sotomayor spoke about her experiences growing up in a South Bronx housing projects and as a Latina student at Princeton and Yale; the value of public service; and the importance of being a good writer.
“Writing remains a challenge for me even today,” she said then. “Everything I write goes through multiple drafts. I am not a natural writer. Writing is a challenge for many Latino professionals – we have to work hard at it and we have to work hard at securing mentors who will help us learn how to write better. I encourage you all, not just Latinos, to spend time improving your writing – it is the single most important skill you can develop to ensure your professional success.”
President Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor in May to succeed the retiring Justice David H. Souter. Confirmation hearings are expected to begin in July.