Sotomayor calls for ‘diversity’ in Supreme Court, in several ways
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic to serve the nation’s high court, says it could use more diversity.
“I, for one, do think there is a disadvantage from having [five] Catholics, three Jews, everyone from an Ivy League school,” Sotomayor said during a talk Friday at Brooklyn Law School, according to the Associated Press.
{mosads}Several of the justices are from New York City and none of them have practiced criminal defense law outside white-collar settings, Sotomayor said.
She said varied backgrounds could help justices “educate each other to be better listeners and better thinkers because we understand things from experience.”
She did not mention nominee Merrick Garland, President Obama’s nominee to replace Justice Antonin Scalia.
Obama on Thursday touched on the question of diversity on the court, noting that Garland is a “white guy” but also an “outstanding jurist.”
Sotomayor’s talk comes as Senate Republicans continue to block Garland from receiving a hearing or vote.
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