U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor told Hawaii lawyers and judges Thursday that the nation’s highest court only takes cases that have no clear answers.
"We’re moving and advancing the law into the unknown," she said.
But she also said the court must also deal with cases already supported by a line of prior court decisions that are no longer valid.
The extreme example, she said, was the historic 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling that outlawed segregation despite 50 years of decisions that supported the "separate but equal" system of segregating schools.
But she said it’s still difficult when facing an issue based on previous court rulings that are "wrong," and fashioning a new ruling.
"I’m still struggling with it," she said.
She also pointed out she is only one of nine justices with strong personalities, which is the reason why their passion spills over to what some say are their "sharp" opinions rendered in divided decisions.
Sotomayor, who was named to the high court by President Barack Obama in 2009, spoke at the Hawaii Supreme Court courtroom.
The event was sponsored by the Hawaii State Bar Association during her visit here as part of the University of Hawaii law school’s jurist-in-residence program.
Born to a Puerto Rican family and growing up in the South Bronx, Sotomayor excelled in school, graduating from Yale Law School and serving as a U.S. district judge and appeals judge.
She has been described by many as living out the American dream in rising from humble beginnings to become the nation’s first Hispanic on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Sotomayor said she places an emphasis on talking not only to law schools and bar associations, but also to younger students.
She said as a condition of visiting here, she spoke Tuesday to students at local high schools, including Farrington High School.
"Even as a judge, you have to stay involved in the community," she said.
Although this is not Sotomayor’s first visit, she said she’s learned much about Hawaii, its culture and people, the state courts and the uniqueness of the UH’s law school.
"You’ve got an extraordinary Supreme Court," Sotomayor said. "I’ve never met five justices who really are friends."
She also gave high marks to the legal profession.
"To me lawyering is the noblest profession," Sotomayor said. "I believe what lawyers do is serve people."
