Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor visited the University of Miami for a live interview in partnership with Robert B. Cole lecture series at the UM Law School and local bookstore Books & Books. CBS News Anchor, Erika Gonzalez, hosted the interview.
Sotomayor shared important lessons from her new children’s book “Just Shine! How to Be a Better You,” inspired by the life of her late mother, Celina Báez. It follows Baez’s experiences as a young immigrant from Puerto Rico.
“She [her mother] came into the world with very little, and left it with so much grace and love,” said Sotomayor. “Everything that was good in me came from my mother. I didn’t realize that she was my first and best teacher … sometimes we wait too late to appreciate that.”
Sotomayor explained that while she did not have a perfect relationship with her mother, she instilled many of the values and world views that Sotomayor still keeps today.
“My mother was so incredibly humble,” said Justice Sotomayor.
She also discussed how her mother was not affectionate towards her growing up, and this was something both Sotomayor and her mother had to learn well into adulthood.
About halfway through the interview, Sotomayor stood up and announced that she would be walking through the crowd to embrace each of the children in the audience.
As she walked through the crowd, she continued answering the hosts questions while also thanking guests for attending and making conversation with the children who attended.
Sotomayor praised her mother as her ultimate inspiration and made it evident how much she cherishes their relationship.
“My mother made me the justice I am today. She made me the judge and person that I am,” she said.
Gonzalez asked about Sotomayor’s thoughts on the school system’s teaching about civics and government. Justice Sotomayor emphasized the need for citizens to understand and utilize their freedoms while participating in government.
“Unless you know the sense of why we [democratic government] are what we are, you won’t know enough to protect it,” said Sotomayor.
Justice Sotomayor proceeded to answer previously submitted and selected questions of several University of Miami Law students who attended the event.
One student asked about the role that compassion plays in making a decision as a United States Supreme Court Justice.
“I don’t rule based on what I think is fair in terms of morality. I have to rule on what I think is right under the law,” Sotomayor said.
She went on to distinguish her use of empathy in making a court decision from compassion, sharing that empathy is only applied in trying to understand the other side of an argument, but it does not factor into her decisions as a supreme court justice.
The final question asked was “What gives you hope?”
“I believe today and every day we have people who will stand up and do the right thing. The people I can inspire most to do that … are kids,” said Justice Sotomayor.
Her book, “Just Shine!” can currently be found online and in bookstores for purchase.