Special Collections: Justice Sonia Sotomayor Bobblehead

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2009 by President Barack Obama, stands out as a trailblazing figure in American jurisprudence. As the first Latina to serve on the nation’s highest court, Sotomayor brings a rich tapestry of experiences from her upbringing in the South Bronx and her career in law. Known for her passionate advocacy for the underprivileged and her incisive questioning from the bench, she has become a prominent voice on issues ranging from civil rights to criminal justice. Her tenure reflects a commitment to interpreting the law through a lens of empathy and equity, making significant contributions to the Court’s deliberations and the broader legal landscape.

Justice Sotomayor's bobblehead is standing on a plate (a reference to her opinion in a patent case), with a slice of pie and a loaf of bread at her feet (references to her use of analogies involving pies, loaves, and slices). She is also wearing a baseball mitt (a reference to a baseball analogy in yet another opinion), modeled from the mitt of Jorge Posada, catcher for the New York Yankees. Justice Sotomayor is a longtime Yankees fan and sits in the Judge’s Chambers section at Yankee Stadium.