Sonia Sotomayor

A surplus of effort could overcome a deficit of confidence.

— 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

My job as a prosecutor is to do justice. And justice is served when a guilty man is convicted and an innocent…

— Sonia Sotomayor

I do think there is a value in the services of judges for long periods of time.

— Sonia Sotomayor

Don't be shy about making a teacher of any willing party who knows what he or she is doing.

— Sonia Sotomayor

I strive never to forget the real world consequences of my decisions on individuals, businesses and government.

— Sonia Sotomayor

“Over the years, I have gathered more godchildren than anyone I know, and I take the role seriously.”

— Sonia Sotomayor

I do believe that every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge regardless of their background or…

— Sonia Sotomayor

I didn't know I had a sense of limitation until I got into the greater world.

— Sonia Sotomayor

If your child marches to a different beat, a different drummer, you might just have to go along with that music. Help…

— Sonia Sotomayor

There are cultural biases built into testing, and that was one of the motivations for the concept of affirmative action - to…

— Sonia Sotomayor

You know, failure hurts. Any kind of failure stings. If you live in the sting, you will - undoubtedly - fail. My…

— Sonia Sotomayor

In examining witnesses, I learned to ask general questions so as to elicit details with powerful sensory associations: the colors, the sounds,…

— Sonia Sotomayor

I was raised in a Bronx public housing project, but studied at two of the nation's finest universities. I did work as…

— 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…

— Sonia Sotomayor

I got a message from one of my friends in Puerto Rico, who said, 'Sonia, there's nobody working in Puerto Rico -…

— Sonia Sotomayor

I wouldn't approach the issue of judging in the way the president does. Judges can't rely on what's in their heart. They…

— Sonia Sotomayor

“I SPENT EIGHT YEARS at Blessed Sacrament School, far more than half my life by the time the last bell of eighth…

— Sonia Sotomayor

I honestly felt no envy or resentment, only astonishment at how much of a world there was out there and how much…

— Sonia Sotomayor

I'm a common law judge. I believe in deciding every case on its facts, not on a legal philosophy. And I believe…

— Sonia Sotomayor

For as long as I can remember, I have been inspired by the achievement of our founding fathers. They set forth principles…

— Sonia Sotomayor

That's why we have appellate judges that are more than one judge because each of us, from our life experiences, will more…

— Sonia Sotomayor

The schools that suffer are the schools in, in poor neighborhoods. They are the neighborhoods with the greatest need, with the parents…

— Sonia Sotomayor

“There are uses to adversity, and they don’t reveal themselves until tested. Whether it’s serious illness, financial hardship, or the simple constraint…

— Sonia Sotomayor

“But experience has taught me that you cannot value dreams according to the odds of their coming true. Their real value is…

— Sonia Sotomayor

Each time I see a split infinitive, an inconsistent tense structure or the unnecessary use of the passive voice, I blister.

— Sonia Sotomayor

The task of a judge is not to make the law - it is to apply the law.

— Sonia Sotomayor

“[T]he habit of living as if in the shadow of death has remained with me, and I consider that, too, a gift.”

— Sonia Sotomayor

Sometimes it gets boring. No justice is supposed to say that. But, you know, there's drudgery in every job you're going to…

— 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

Although I grew up in very modest and challenging circumstances, I consider my life to be immeasurably rich.

— Sonia Sotomayor

When I call myself an affirmative action baby, I'm talking about the essence of what affirmative action was when it started.

— Sonia Sotomayor

I think being a Catholic made me a better person. It taught me how to choose good over evil, and how to…

— Sonia Sotomayor

Pretending to be a princess is fun, but it is definitely not a career.

— Sonia Sotomayor

“[A]lthough wisdom is built on life experience, the mere accumulation of years guarantees nothing.”

— Sonia Sotomayor

Some people choose not to engage the battle and then don't seek out that kind of success. And others do.

— Sonia Sotomayor

All judges have cases that touch our passions deeply, but we all struggle constantly with remaining impartial.

— Sonia Sotomayor

People who live in difficult circumstances need to know that happy endings are possible. Page 1.

— Sonia Sotomayor

I firmly believe in the rule of law as the foundation for all of our basic rights.

— Sonia Sotomayor

[On the desert:] The wind was a constant, and when you paid attention, it seemed like the earth's own breathing.

— Sonia Sotomayor