Sonia Sotomayor Life at Yale

After graduating from Princeton University, Sonia Sotomayor was accepted at Yale. The year was 1976 and Sotomayor, again, had entered on a full scholarship. Like here experience at Princeton, there were few Latinos enrolled at Yale. One of her earliest mentors was Yale professor, José A Cabranes. Cabranes, is now a U.S. Circuit Judge on the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He is the first Puerto Rican appointed to a federal judgeship and second Puerto Rican appointed to the Court of Appeals.

At Yale, Sotomayor became editor of the Yale Journal and managing editor of the Yale Studies in World Public Order. As outspoken and maintaining her enthusiasm for activism, Sotomayor co-chaired an advocacy group for Native American Asian, and Latin students. She also filed a complaint against the Washington D.C law firm, Shaw, Pittman, Potts, & Trowbridge. During a recruiting dinner, the remark was made that Sotomayor was only there due to affirmative action. Standing up for herself and the rights of other Latinos she challenged the suggestion and maintained her complaint. The action was later reported about in The Washington Post. Sotomayor graduated from Yale in 1979 and earned her Juris Doctor. Sotomayor was admitted to the New York Bar in 1980.

Sources:

Justia Lawyer Directory: Sonia Sotomayor

Heritage Shapes Judges Perspective

Sotomayor: Always willing to speak up at Yale