Sonia Sotomayor, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, visited the University of Minnesota Law School in late October. She was in Minneapolis for the investiture of the Honorable Elizabeth Bentley to the Minnesota State Court of Appeals and visited the Law School during her stay in the Twin Cities.
Justice Sotomayor met with Minnesota Law students throughout the day. She also joined Dean William McGeveran, William S. Pattee Professor of Law, University of Minnesota President Dr. Rebecca Cunningham, Executive Vice President and Provost Rachel T. A. Croson, and Law School faculty for an engaging discussion.
“Meeting Justice Sotomayor was both a professional and personal highlight,” says Professor Alexander Boni-Saenz, Robins Kaplan Distinguished Scholar. “This was a meeting that my Latina mother was excited to hear about as well!”
Boni-Saenz asked the Justice a question related to age and aging, his field of study. “Like many other people, Justice Sotomayor noted that her age in the mirror does not match her age in her mind's eye,” he says. “This encapsulates how many of us see ourselves. While we may not all feel in sync with our chronological ages, we are also deeply aware that we are going through the inevitable process of aging.”
After meeting with Minnesota Law faculty, Justice Sotomayor met privately with students from the Latinx Law Student Association (LLSA), encouraging them to support each other throughout their legal education and careers.
"Speaking with Justice Sotomayor was incredibly meaningful to me as a Latina law student,” says Dania Barrera Carrasco ’26. “I asked her how she has managed to stay grounded, given the obstacles she has faced not only as a law student but throughout her legal career. She spoke on the importance of leaning on our communities and lifting each other up as we navigate this legal journey together. Her response was the motivation I was looking for."
Justice Sotomayor also met with student leaders from affinity organizations over lunch, advising students to lead with respect and goodwill toward others, especially those with whom they disagree.
Hans Frank-Holzner ’25 says that having the opportunity to meet and hear from Justice Sotomayor was one of the highlights of his law school experience. “I was struck by her kindness and personality,” he says. “She made me feel seen, heard, and important. She was kind enough to sign a copy of her memoir for me. What she wrote on the inside page encapsulates the message I took away from her visit: ‘Practice with integrity and always be kind people in all you do - Sonia.’ I appreciated how she encouraged us to be people of goodwill, see the goodwill in others, and earn respect by showing respect. Her message about the capacity of the law to do good was inspirational and motivating. It gave me hope and served as a poignant antidote to cynicism."
Justice Sotomayor finished the day with an event for students that included a conversation and answers to questions students submitted in advance. Dean William McGeveran introduced Justice Sotomayor and Judge Elizabeth Bentley of the Minnesota Court of Appeals — a former visiting professor at Minnesota Law and directed the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic.
"Minnesota Law was so honored to host Justice Sotomayor," says Dean William McGeveran. "It's not common for a sitting Supreme Court justice to devote an entire day to law students as she generously did, even spontaneously skipping a lunch break to meet with more students,” he says. “I heard from so many who appreciated her wisdom and warmth and found her dialogue with Judge Bentley enlightening."
Justice Sotomayor advised students to find a mentor during law school and in their careers — someone from whom they will learn and benefit from knowing. She discussed her experiences at Yale Law School and shared some of the ways her mentors helped her. She also advised students to apply for judicial clerkships after graduation, saying it is a wonderful way to immerse oneself in all aspects of the law.
Judge Bentley, who clerked for the Justice, says, “It was a true honor to engage in conversation with my mentor Justice Sotomayor at Minnesota Law. I was overjoyed to see her connect with Minnesota Law students. She inspired everyone in the room, including me, to continue the important work of building up our community and advancing the rule of law."
Justice Sonia Sotomayor was born in Bronx, New York. She earned a B.A. in 1976 from Princeton University, graduating summa cum laude and a member of Phi Beta Kappa and receiving the Pyne Prize, the highest academic honor Princeton awards to an undergraduate. In 1979, she earned a J.D. from Yale Law School where she served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal. She served as assistant district attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office from 1979–1984. She then litigated international commercial matters in New York City at Pavia & Harcourt, where she served as an associate and then partner from 1984–1992. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush nominated her to the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, and she served in that role from 1992–1998. In 1997, she was nominated by President Bill Clinton to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit where she served from 1998–2009. President Barack Obama nominated her as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on May 26, 2009, and she assumed this role on August 8, 2009.