Justice Sonia Sotomayor Joins HLSA Students for Empowering Q&A

The Hispanic Law Students Association (HLSA) had the distinct honor last month of hosting a virtual Q&A session with Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor.

During the conversation, Justice Sotomayor imparted invaluable wisdom on achieving success, career guidance, and personal anecdotes from her own journey. She candidly discussed her early inspirations for the law, the obstacles she overcame, the mentors who shaped her career, and her remarkable path to becoming a Supreme Court Justice.

Born in Bronx, New York, as a young girl, she envisioned herself as a detective, inspired by the Nancy Drew novels she loved. However, after being diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, she shifted her focus, finding inspiration instead in the TV character Perry Mason. "What lawyers do is we help people in their relationships with one another—whether it’s a family issue, a business matter, or a government dispute," she said, describing how lawyering, to her, closely mirrored detective work.

After attending Cardinal Spellman High School—a fact she shares with HLSA President Nicholas Texidor—she attended Princeton as a first-generation college student. Justice Sotomayor made the most of her academic journey, exploring a variety of fields from sculpture to economics to religion, stating, "College is such an exciting time; explore subjects you know nothing about."

As a first-generation student, Justice Sotomayor didn’t have family members in the legal field to provide mentorship. Instead, she turned to her mother and a writing professor for guidance. She emphasized the importance of mentorship, stating, "Mentorship is crucial, but it doesn’t have to come from someone with your same background. What matters is finding a mentor who helps you improve at something you want to do or aren’t yet good at."

Her academic journey set the stage for her extraordinary career. After graduating summa cum laude from Princeton University, being inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and earning the prestigious Pyne Prize, she went on to earn a J.D. from Yale Law School. From there, she worked her way up, first serving as an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office, and later litigating international commercial cases at Pavia & Harcourt in New York City. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush nominated her to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. President Bill Clinton later nominated her to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1997, and in 2009, President Barack Obama nominated her as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Throughout the conversation, Justice Sotomayor emphasized that fear of failure is the greatest obstacle in any career. "Fear keeps us from maximizing our potential," she noted. She also addressed the universal experience of imposter syndrome, reassuring students that it’s necessary to ask questions when you don't know something.

As the discussion wrapped up, she left students with a final piece of career advice: "Use your three years in law school to experiment. There are no dead ends—that’s the beauty of being a lawyer."

A sincere thank you to Justice Sotomayor for generously sharing her time and insights with us.