laura gomez

So there’s at least one more connection to be found between Sonia Sotomayor and New Mexico, albeit a bit indirect. 
That is, U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sotomayor’s family roots in Puerto Rico — and the island’s 19th century acquisition by the United States — call to mind New Mexico’s similar historical ties to the USA.

It seems like Barack Obama’s pick to be the next justice of the U.S. Supreme Court was always the smartest kid in the class. Sonia Sotomayor is the classic overachiever. And while at first glance, the story of the New Yorican judge poised to make history as the nation’s first Latino on the nation’s high court might seem far removed from New Mexico, it isn’t.

As the spotlight focuses on the trailblazing Judge Sonia Sotomayor, Latina lawyers around New Mexico offer diverse reactions to the first-ever Latino nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court — as well as differing opinions about how biography matters.