August 8, 2009 became a big day in the history of women, when Sonia Sotomayor took her oath, and was sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice. 55 year old, Justice Sotomayor was sworn in as the 111th Supreme Court Justice, while her mother stood proudly by. However, it was much more than that; she was the first Hispanic Woman to be sworn into this high court, and the third woman ever to take the oath in this historically male dominated court.

In 1981, Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman to be nominated as a Supreme Court Justice. A Stanford Law School graduate O’Connor received the Republican nomination, and was considered a conservative pick. She was nominated to fulfill a presidential campaign promise, which had been used to swing female voters.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Harvard and Columbia Law School graduate, was the second woman sworn into this court. She received the Democratic nomination in 1993, and was considered a liberal pick by many. O'Connor and Ginsburg served together in this high court for over a decade, until Sandra Day O’Connor retired in 2006, to care for her husband. When O’Connor retired women were secure, because one of our own still held one of those seats. We lived comfortably with that until, earlier this year; when Ruth Bader Ginsburg was diagnosed with, and had surgery for Pancreatic Cancer.  After her diagnoses, many felt it was long past due that the Supreme Court had another woman nominated.

Saturday, Sonia Sotomayor took her Judicial Oath at just a little past 11A.M. Justice Robert’s swore Sotomayor in and congratulated her. Sotomayor was nominated by President Barack Obama in May of this year, to fill the seat of retiring Justice David Scouter. The Democratic advantage in the Senate helped to ensure her successful nomination. In fact, not one single Democrat voted against her. Previously, she had served as a Federal Judge for the Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit.

On Wednesday August 12th, 2009 there will be a ceremony held at the White House, in honor of Sotomayor.  President Obama is scheduled to attend the reception in her honor. Sotomayor is set to take her seat for the first time on September 8, 2009. She is entitled to move into her new chambers immediately and begin to prepare for her first case as a Justice.

Sonia Maria Sotomayor was born June 25th, 1954, to a humble Puerto Rican family that lived in the Bronx. Sonia was raised mainly by her mother; because, her father passed away when she was just a child.  She graduated from Princeton and Yale Universities. She graduated from Ivy League schools during a time when not many women attended them, and even fewer Hispanic women attended. She is a true credit to our fairer sex, as she has broken through many barriers for women, Hispanics, and people of modest origins. Sotomayor was the first Hispanic Federal Judge in the Great State of New York. She was the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in the U.S. Federal Courts. We wish her a long term.