Childhood and Education Journey of Sonia Sotomayor in Timeline

Share: FB Share X Share Reddit Share Reddit Share
Sonia Sotomayor

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Sonia Sotomayor. From birth to education, explore key events.

Sonia Sotomayor is an American lawyer and jurist serving as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, she assumed office on August 8, 2009. Sotomayor holds the distinction of being the first Hispanic and only the third woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

June 25, 1954: Birth of Sonia Sotomayor

On June 25, 1954, Sonia Maria Sotomayor was born. She is an American lawyer and jurist.

Others born on this day/year

1957: Move to Bronxdale Houses

In 1957, Sonia Sotomayor's family moved to the Bronxdale Houses housing project in Soundview.

1964: Death of Juan Sotomayor

In 1964, Sonia Sotomayor's father, Juan Sotomayor, passed away when she was nine years old.

1970: Family Moves to Co-op City

In 1970, Sonia Sotomayor's family moved to Co-op City in the Northeast Bronx to escape increasing heroin use, crime, and gang activity in the Bronxdale Houses.

1972: Graduation from Cardinal Spellman High School

In 1972, Sonia Sotomayor graduated as valedictorian from Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx.

April 1974: Acción Puertorriqueña Files Complaint

In April 1974, Acción Puertorriqueña filed a formal letter of complaint with the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, alleging discrimination in hiring and admission practices at Princeton.

August 14, 1976: Marriage to Kevin Edward Noonan

On August 14, 1976, Sotomayor married Kevin Edward Noonan in a small chapel at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. She used the name Sonia Sotomayor de Noonan.

1976: Entry into Yale Law School

In 1976, Sonia Sotomayor entered Yale Law School.

1976: Graduation from Princeton University

In 1976, Sonia Sotomayor graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with an A.B. in history and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

1976: Marriage to Kevin Edward Noonan

In 1976, Sonia Sotomayor married Kevin Edward Noonan.

December 1978: Complaint Against Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge

In December 1978, news of the apology from the law firm Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge for suggesting during a recruiting dinner that Sotomayor was at Yale only because of affirmative action was made public in The Washington Post after Sotomayor filed a complaint.

1979: Graduation from Yale Law School

In 1979, Sonia Sotomayor received her Juris Doctor from Yale Law School, where she served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal.

1979: Awarded Juris Doctor from Yale Law School

In 1979, Sonia Sotomayor was awarded a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.

1980: Service on the Board of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund

In 1980, Sotomayor began serving on the board of directors of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. There, she worked with lawyers on issues like New York City hiring practices, police brutality, the death penalty, and voting rights.

1983: Divorce from Kevin Edward Noonan

In 1983, Sonia Sotomayor and Kevin Edward Noonan divorced amicably, citing the pressures of her working life as a contributing factor.

1985: Service on the Board of the Maternity Center Association

In 1985, Sotomayor began her service on the board of the Maternity Center Association, a Manhattan-based nonprofit organization focused on improving maternity care.

1986: Good Morning America Appearance

In 1986, Sonia Sotomayor appeared on Good Morning America, where she discussed her life ten years after college graduation.

Loading Video...

1986: Service on the Board of the Maternity Center Association

In 1986, Sotomayor continued her service on the board of the Maternity Center Association, contributing to the organization's efforts to enhance maternity care in Manhattan.

1988: Appointment to the New York City Campaign Finance Board

In 1988, Ed Koch, the Mayor of New York City, appointed Sotomayor as one of the founding members of the New York City Campaign Finance Board. She served there for four years, helping to implement a voluntary scheme where local candidates received public funds in exchange for contribution limits, spending limits, and financial disclosure agreements.

November 27, 1991: Nomination to U.S. District Court

On November 27, 1991, President George H. W. Bush nominated Sotomayor to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

1991: Recommendation for Judgeship

In 1991, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan recommended Sotomayor for a judgeship, fulfilling a promise to appoint a Hispanic judge for New York. Senator Al D'Amato enthusiastically backed her.

June 1992: Senate Judiciary Committee Hearings

In June 1992, Sotomayor's Senate Judiciary Committee hearings went smoothly, with her pro bono activities earning praise and unanimous approval from the committee.

1992: End of Service on the Board of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund

In 1992, Sotomayor ended her service on the board of directors of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, concluding a 12-year period of active involvement in policymaking and legal work on various social justice issues.

1992: Focus of "My Beloved World"

In 2013, Sotomayor's memoir, "My Beloved World (Mi mundo adorado)", was published and became a New York Times Best Seller. The book focused on her life up to 1992.

1994: 1994 Baseball Strike

In 1994, Major League Baseball experienced a strike that lasted 232 days and was ultimately ended by Sotomayor's injunction in March 1995.

June 25, 1997: Nomination to U.S. Court of Appeals

On June 25, 1997, President Bill Clinton nominated Sotomayor to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

September 1997: Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

During her September 1997 hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sotomayor faced strong questioning from Republican members about mandatory sentencing, gay rights, and her respect for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

March 1998: Committee Approval of Nomination

In March 1998, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved Sotomayor's nomination, with two dissensions.

June 1998: Wall Street Journal Editorial Criticism

In June 1998, the Wall Street Journal editorial page criticized Sotomayor's district court rulings and urged further delay of her confirmation to the Second Circuit.

October 2, 1998: Confirmation to U.S. Court of Appeals

On October 2, 1998, Sotomayor was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit by a 67–29 vote.

1998: Inspiration for Legal Career

In 1998, Sonia Sotomayor reflected on how she was inspired to pursue a legal career and become a judge after watching the TV series Perry Mason.

Loading Video...

1998: Adjunct Professor at NYU School of Law

In 1998, Sotomayor began working as an adjunct professor at New York University School of Law, teaching trial and appellate advocacy and a federal appellate court seminar until 2007.

1999: Honorary Law Degree from Lehman College

In 1999, Sotomayor received an honorary law degree from Lehman College.

1999: Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law School

In 1999, Sotomayor started as a lecturer in law at Columbia Law School in a paying, adjunct faculty position.

2000: Co-taught Federal Appellate Externship at Columbia Law School

In 2000, Sotomayor created and co-taught a class called the Federal Appellate Externship each semester at Columbia Law School, until her departure.

October 2001: Judge Mario G. Olmos Memorial Lecture

In October 2001, Sotomayor presented the annual Judge Mario G. Olmos Memorial Lecture at UC Berkeley School of Law, titled "A Latina Judge's Voice."

2001: Honorary Law Degrees from Princeton University and Brooklyn Law School

In 2001, Sotomayor received honorary law degrees from Princeton University and Brooklyn Law School.

2002: Publication of "A Latina Judge's Voice"

In 2002, Sotomayor's lecture, "A Latina Judge's Voice", which she delivered in October 2001, was published in the Berkeley La Raza Law Journal.

2003: Honorary Law Degree from Pace University School of Law

In 2003, Sotomayor received an honorary law degree from Pace University School of Law.

2005: Suggested as Supreme Court Nominee

In 2005, Senate Democrats suggested Sotomayor, among others, to President George W. Bush as an acceptable nominee to fill the seat of retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

2006: Member of Princeton University's Board of Trustees

In 2006, Sotomayor became a member of Princeton University's Board of Trustees, concluding her term in 2011.

2006: Honorary Law Degree from Hofstra University

In 2006, Sotomayor received an honorary law degree from Hofstra University.

2007: End of time as adjunct professor at NYU School of Law

In 2007, Sotomayor concluded her time as an adjunct professor at New York University School of Law, where she had been teaching since 1998.

2007: Honorary Law Degree from Northeastern University School of Law

In 2007, Sotomayor received an honorary law degree from Northeastern University School of Law.

2008: Member of the Belizean Grove

In 2008, Sotomayor became a member of the Belizean Grove, an invitation-only women's group.

June 19, 2009: Resignation from Belizean Grove

On June 19, 2009, Sotomayor resigned from the Belizean Grove after Republican politicians voiced concerns over the group's membership policy.

2010: Honorary Law Degrees from Howard University, St. Lawrence University, and Paris Nanterre University

In 2010, Sotomayor received honorary law degrees from Howard University, St. Lawrence University, and Paris Nanterre University.

2010: Book contract with Alfred A. Knopf

In 2010, Sotomayor signed a contract with Alfred A. Knopf to publish a memoir about her early life and received an advance of nearly $1.2 million.

2012: Honorary Law Degree from New York University

In 2012, Sotomayor received an honorary law degree from New York University.

2013: Honorary Law Degree from Yale University

In 2013, Sotomayor received an honorary law degree from Yale University.

2013: Publication of "My Beloved World"

In 2013, Sotomayor's memoir, "My Beloved World (Mi mundo adorado)", was published and became a New York Times Best Seller. The book focused on her life up to 1992.

2014: Honorary Law Degree from the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras

In 2014, Sotomayor received an honorary law degree from the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras.

2019: Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters from Manhattan University

In 2019, Sotomayor received an honorary doctorate of human letters from Manhattan University.

2021: Death of Celina Báez

In 2021, Sonia Sotomayor's mother, Celina Báez, passed away.