Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor Press Conference

Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor Press Conference
For Marianas Business Journal
25 Jan 2012
BY Stephanie Lundberg

The District Court of Guam kicked off its Annual District Conference today with the introduction of its honorary guest, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor at a morning press conference.

Sotomayor was joined at the news conference by 9^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Susan P. Graber, the U.S. District Court of Guam’s Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood, Chief Judge Curtis V. Gomez of the U.S. District Court of the Virgin Islands, and Chief Judge Philip Carbullido of the Supreme Court of Guam.

As the justice declined to speak on current or potential legal cases to avoid unduly influencing issues, most of the media’s questions centered on the purpose of her visit, her upcoming events, and general issues surrounding the U.S. Supreme Court’s operations.

Among other topics, Sotomayor discussed personal connections to Guam and Tydingco-Gatewood’s invitation to tour the island. She commented on the process and considerations that are involved in cases being selected or rejected for argument before the Supreme Court, particularly related to cases coming from the U.S. territories. 

She also gave new attorneys some advice for how to serve happily and effectively for the legal profession and their communities, and spoke on her hopes for her presentation before the island’s students at the University of Guam on Friday. She closed the press conference by commenting on similar ways in which Guam and Puerto Rican cultures emphasize the importance of family.

The justice’s five-day visit to Guam and the CNMI will include a session for swearing in new members of the Guam and Federal Bar Associations, a two-hour conversatorio session with conference attendees, and other events in the CNMI.