Wednesday
May272009
Sotomayor Represents Hopes And Dreams Of Hispanic Community
By Jonathan Bronstein, Talk Radio News Service
Raised by a single parent and a product of the New York public school system who eventually went on to graduate from Princeton and Yale Law School, Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor’s story resonates with many Americans. She was able to overcome obstacles and elevate her status in society through hard work.However, Sotomayor’s nomination was important for another reason. She is the first Hispanic judge to be nominated to the nation’s highest court.
“Now to see a Latina nominated to the Supreme Court, we believe this is a great step forward for America,” said Jimmy Reina of the Hispanic Bar Association, which represents 100,000 Hispanics in the legal profession, today at a press conference praising the Sotomayor’s nomination. Reina said that having a Hispanic on the Supreme Court would bring an increased amount of “trust and confidence in the legitimacy in the United States justice system” because her nomination demonstrates to all minorities that the system is equal and fair to all.
Brent Wilkes of the League of United Latin American Citizens said that “she is an absolutely brilliant jurist who will serve the nation well, and she is the first Latino/a nominated to the Supreme Court breaking a glass ceiling that for our community has been very troublesome over many decades.”
Roel Campos, the former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman, and first Latino to hold this position, commented on the importance of having a minority in such a high position. “I was the first Hispanic Commissioner of the SEC and it makes a difference. It sends a message that America is moving forward,” said Campos.
None of the speakers believed that Sotomayor would face serious trouble that would jeopardize her confirmation because she received bi-partisan support during her previous confirmation hearings.
Wilkes gave a stern warning to any Republicans who would stand in the way of her confirmation because of “the length of time the Latino population has waited for this nomination it has been a long time, and the hopes and aspirations are all tied up in this nominee and the last thing they want to do is dash those hopes.”
Raised by a single parent and a product of the New York public school system who eventually went on to graduate from Princeton and Yale Law School, Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor’s story resonates with many Americans. She was able to overcome obstacles and elevate her status in society through hard work.However, Sotomayor’s nomination was important for another reason. She is the first Hispanic judge to be nominated to the nation’s highest court.
“Now to see a Latina nominated to the Supreme Court, we believe this is a great step forward for America,” said Jimmy Reina of the Hispanic Bar Association, which represents 100,000 Hispanics in the legal profession, today at a press conference praising the Sotomayor’s nomination. Reina said that having a Hispanic on the Supreme Court would bring an increased amount of “trust and confidence in the legitimacy in the United States justice system” because her nomination demonstrates to all minorities that the system is equal and fair to all.
Brent Wilkes of the League of United Latin American Citizens said that “she is an absolutely brilliant jurist who will serve the nation well, and she is the first Latino/a nominated to the Supreme Court breaking a glass ceiling that for our community has been very troublesome over many decades.”
Roel Campos, the former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman, and first Latino to hold this position, commented on the importance of having a minority in such a high position. “I was the first Hispanic Commissioner of the SEC and it makes a difference. It sends a message that America is moving forward,” said Campos.
None of the speakers believed that Sotomayor would face serious trouble that would jeopardize her confirmation because she received bi-partisan support during her previous confirmation hearings.
Wilkes gave a stern warning to any Republicans who would stand in the way of her confirmation because of “the length of time the Latino population has waited for this nomination it has been a long time, and the hopes and aspirations are all tied up in this nominee and the last thing they want to do is dash those hopes.”
tagged 
Historic, Lawyers, Puerto Rico, SCOTUS, Sotomayor, Supreme Court, diversity, glass ceiling, hispanic, lawyer, legal in Frontpage 1
Historic, Lawyers, Puerto Rico, SCOTUS, Sotomayor, Supreme Court, diversity, glass ceiling, hispanic, lawyer, legal in Frontpage 1
SCOTUS: Pregnancy Payment Not Retroactive
Global telecommunication corporation AT&T’s pension policy before 1978 was a seniority system, which was achieved through years of service, but women were precluded from gaining as much seniority as their male counterparts because of the time they took on pregnancy leave.
In 1978 Congress passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, and AT&T complied with this new ruling, and adjusted their pension policy accordingly.
After this law came into effect, the question arose as to whether women who already retired would benefit from this new calculation.
Today, in a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court decided the Title VII, which prevents pregnancy discrimination, does not require AT&T to recalculate the pensions, so AT&T was within its rights to not retroactively pay employees for their loss of pay.
Justice David Souter wrote the majority opinion, and in regard to Title VII, “There is no such clear intent here, indeed, no indication at all that Congress had retroactive application in mind, the evidence points the other way.”
Justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg and John Paul Stevens dissented. Ginsberg wrote that “AT&T committed a current violation of Title VII when it did not totally discontinue reliance upon a pension calculation premised on the notion that pregnancy-based classification display no gender bias.”