TBA Law Blog

TBA Law Blog

Sotomayor Applauds New Argument Format, Calls for Greater Professional Diversity on Court

Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Oct 22, 2021
News Type: U.S. Supreme Court

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor spoke at a virtual event earlier this month and applauded the court’s new format for arguments, in which the justices freely ask questions, but after an attorney’s time has expired, each justice may ask questions uninterrupted in order of seniority. The new process was adopted in part because studies showed that female justices were being interrupted at higher rates than male counterparts, she said. The studies had an “enormous impact” and led Chief Justice John Roberts to be “much more sensitive” to those who are interrupted. Sotomayor also called for greater professional diversity at the event. She noted that with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s passing, the court lost its only civil rights lawyer, and that none of the current justices have significant experience with civil rights, criminal defense, immigration or environmental law. CNN has more from her speech.

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