Justice Sonia Sotomayor Critiques Trump — Without Ever Mentioning His Name
She expressed her views on Trump allies with JDs who have supported the president’s criticisms of the judiciary.
TroibNews 
The most senior member of the Supreme Court’s liberal wing appeared to dissent Friday against President Donald Trump’s denigration of judges and sweeping criticisms of the legal system, asserting that a robust democracy relies on more than mere adherence to existing laws.
During her address to law students in Washington, Justice Sonia Sotomayor indicated that the nation is experiencing a troubling time marked by rising public disdain for judges, lawyers, and courts.
“One of the things that’s troubling so many right now is many of the standards that are being changed right now were norms that governed officials into what was right and wrong,” Sotomayor stated during her visit to Georgetown University Law Center. “Once norms are broken, then you’re shaking some of the foundation of the rule of law.”
While Sotomayor did not directly name Trump, her criticisms seemed aimed at his appointees and congressional supporters who, despite holding law degrees, have echoed calls for impeachment and launched personal attacks on judges who have halted Trump’s initiatives.
“Law schools … are not doing enough to teach about the meaning of rule of law. They have not done enough to teach about our respect for the Constitution,” she remarked in a discussion with Georgetown law Dean William Treanor. “The fact that some of our public leaders are lawyers advocating or making statements challenging the rule of law tells me that, fundamentally, our law schools are failing.”
Sotomayor also cautioned that any deterioration of judicial independence would threaten the rule of law in the U.S.
“We have to get up and explain and repeat and explain again why judicial independence is critical to everyone’s freedom, because arbitrary power is just that, and it means that anyone is going to be subject to unfairness at someone else’s whim,” the liberal justice noted. “The fact that you may like the use of arbitrary power against someone else at the moment, and you can target whomever you want at any moment, you have to be worried about the day that will turn on you.”
Several key Trump administration policies are currently undergoing emergency appeals at the Supreme Court.
The administration has requested that the high court lift a lower court order barring Trump from dismissing thousands of probationary federal workers. Additionally, it has asked the justices to overturn a judge’s decision that temporarily prevents Trump from utilizing a wartime law to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members without following the conventional immigration-court process. Furthermore, the administration has submitted a trio of requests aimed at limiting the authority of district court judges to issue nationwide injunctions against policies.
Sotomayor, who was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama in 2009, recognized on Friday that she frequently finds herself dissenting in significant cases, particularly given the current 6-3 conservative majority on the court.
She specifically referenced her dissent in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling that overturned nearly fifty years of constitutional rights to abortion. Despite her opposition to that ruling, the justice emphasized that decisions she disagrees with are not permanent.
“As we know from recent events, the court does change its mind,” she stated. “So, this is not without hope.”
Anna Muller for TROIB News
During her address to law students in Washington, Justice Sonia Sotomayor indicated that the nation is experiencing a troubling time marked by rising public disdain for judges, lawyers, and courts.
“One of the things that’s troubling so many right now is many of the standards that are being changed right now were norms that governed officials into what was right and wrong,” Sotomayor stated during her visit to Georgetown University Law Center. “Once norms are broken, then you’re shaking some of the foundation of the rule of law.”
While Sotomayor did not directly name Trump, her criticisms seemed aimed at his appointees and congressional supporters who, despite holding law degrees, have echoed calls for impeachment and launched personal attacks on judges who have halted Trump’s initiatives.
“Law schools … are not doing enough to teach about the meaning of rule of law. They have not done enough to teach about our respect for the Constitution,” she remarked in a discussion with Georgetown law Dean William Treanor. “The fact that some of our public leaders are lawyers advocating or making statements challenging the rule of law tells me that, fundamentally, our law schools are failing.”
Sotomayor also cautioned that any deterioration of judicial independence would threaten the rule of law in the U.S.
“We have to get up and explain and repeat and explain again why judicial independence is critical to everyone’s freedom, because arbitrary power is just that, and it means that anyone is going to be subject to unfairness at someone else’s whim,” the liberal justice noted. “The fact that you may like the use of arbitrary power against someone else at the moment, and you can target whomever you want at any moment, you have to be worried about the day that will turn on you.”
Several key Trump administration policies are currently undergoing emergency appeals at the Supreme Court.
The administration has requested that the high court lift a lower court order barring Trump from dismissing thousands of probationary federal workers. Additionally, it has asked the justices to overturn a judge’s decision that temporarily prevents Trump from utilizing a wartime law to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members without following the conventional immigration-court process. Furthermore, the administration has submitted a trio of requests aimed at limiting the authority of district court judges to issue nationwide injunctions against policies.
Sotomayor, who was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama in 2009, recognized on Friday that she frequently finds herself dissenting in significant cases, particularly given the current 6-3 conservative majority on the court.
She specifically referenced her dissent in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling that overturned nearly fifty years of constitutional rights to abortion. Despite her opposition to that ruling, the justice emphasized that decisions she disagrees with are not permanent.
“As we know from recent events, the court does change its mind,” she stated. “So, this is not without hope.”
Anna Muller for TROIB News
