Women lawyers endorse Sotomayor
Thursday, July 16th, 2009
The confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor continue Thursday. One legal expert from Philadelphia is slated to testify at the proceeding.
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Temple University Law School Dean JoAnn Epps is also a member of NAWL, the National Association of Women Lawyers. The group is endorsing Sotomayor's confirmation.
Epps says a controversial 2001 speech Sotomayor gave referencing her perspective as a Latina isn't cause for alarm.
Epps: What NAWL believes is that people are a product of their experiences, and that a range of experiences is important to be represented on the Supreme Court, so her experience as a Latina and as a female will allow her to bring a valuable perspective.
Some experts say Sotomayor's confirmation is a foregone conclusion, but they say her critics might be planting the seeds of future political races. Penn Law Professor Kermit Roosevelt says Republican opponents will likely try to paint Sotomayor as an "activist judge" and then use that testimony during their election campaigns.