The first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor has become an instant American icon. Now, with a candor and intimacy never undertaken by a sitting Justice, she recounts her life from a Bronx housing project to the federal bench, a journey that offers an inspiring testament to her own extraordinary determination and the power of believing in oneself.
Here is the story of a precarious childhood, with an alcoholic father (who would die when she was nine) and a devoted but overburdened mother, and of the refuge a little girl took from the turmoil at home with her passionately spirited paternal grandmother. But it was when she was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes that the precocious Sonia recognized she must ultimately depend on herself. She would learn to give herself the insulin shots she needed to survive and soon imagined a path to a different life. With only television characters for her professional role models, and little understanding of what was involved, she determined to become a lawyer, a dream that would sustain her on an unlikely course, from valedictorian of her high school class to the highest honors at Princeton, Yale Law School, the New York County District Attorney's office, private practice, and appointment to the Federal District Court before the age of forty. Along the way we see how she was shaped by her invaluable mentors, a failed marriage, and the modern version of extended family she has created from cherished friends and their children. Through her still-astonished eyes, America's infinite possibilities are envisioned anew in this warm and honest book, destined to become a classic of self-invention and self-discovery.

Feeling different, especially as a kid, can be tough. But in the same way that different types of plants and flowers make a garden more beautiful and enjoyable, different types of people make our world more vibrant and wonderful. In Just Ask, United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates the different abilities kids (and people of all ages) have. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor writes about children with all sorts of challenges - and looks at the special powers those kids have as well. As the kids work together to build a community garden, asking questions of each other along the way, this book encourages readers to do the same: When we come across someone who is different from us but we're not sure why, all we have to do is Just Ask.

The first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor has become an instant American icon. Now, with a candor and intimacy never undertaken by a sitting Justice, she recounts her life from a Bronx housing project to the federal bench, a journey that offers an inspiring testament to her own extraordinary determination and the power of believing in oneself.
Here is the story of a precarious childhood, with an alcoholic father (who would die when she was nine) and a devoted but overburdened mother, and of the refuge a little girl took from the turmoil at home with her passionately spirited paternal grandmother. But it was when she was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes that the precocious Sonia recognized she must ultimately depend on herself. She would learn to give herself the insulin shots she needed to survive and soon imagined a path to a different life. With only television characters for her professional role models, and little understanding of what was involved, she determined to become a lawyer, a dream that would sustain her on an unlikely course, from valedictorian of her high school class to the highest honors at Princeton, Yale Law School, the New York County District Attorney's office, private practice, and appointment to the Federal District Court before the age of forty. Along the way we see how she was shaped by her invaluable mentors, a failed marriage, and the modern version of extended family she has created from cherished friends and their children. Through her still-astonished eyes, America's infinite possibilities are envisioned anew in this warm and honest book, destined to become a classic of self-invention and self-discovery.

From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Just Ask! comes a fun and meaningful story about making the world--and your community--better, one action at a time, that asks the question: Who will you help today? Every night when Sonia goes to bed, Mami asks her the same question: How did you help today? And since Sonia wants to help her community, just like her Mami does, she always makes sure she has a good answer to Mami's question. In a story inspired by her own family's desire to help others, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor takes young readers on a journey through a neighborhood where kids and adults, activists and bus drivers, friends and strangers all help one another to build a better world for themselves and their community. With art by award-winning illustrator Angela Dominguez, this book shows how we can all help make the world a better place each and every day. Praise for Just Help!: "Generosity proves contagious in this personal portrait of community service by Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor." --Publishers Weekly "For use in civics units or in lessons on being a good neighbor, this provides wonderful encouragement to show that children can help in big and small ways." --School Library Journal

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor tells her own story for young readers for the very first time! As the first Latina Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor has inspired young people around the world to reach for their dreams. But what inspired her? For young Sonia, the answer was books! They were her mirrors, her maps, her friends, and her teachers. They helped her to connect with her family in New York and in Puerto Rico, to deal with her diabetes diagnosis, to cope with her father's death, to uncover the secrets of the world, and to dream of a future for herself in which anything was possible. In Turning Pages, Justice Sotomayor shares that love of books with a new generation of readers, and inspires them to read and puzzle and dream for themselves. Accompanied by Lulu Delacre's vibrant art, this story of the Justice's life shows readers that the world is full of promise and possibility--all they need to do is turn the page. Praise for Turning Pages: * "A sincere and insightful autobiography that also demonstrates the power of the written word. A winning addition to libraries that serve young readers." --School Library Journal, starred review "A personal and appealing book made to inspire." --Booklist "A thoughtful introduction to both the power of reading and an inspiring role model." --Kirkus Reviews "This book would be great as a read-aloud for class discussions of the Supreme Court, or United States government, or of important people in public service. It would also be good for independent reading by students interested in biographies or political figures." --School Library Connection

The first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor has become an instant American icon. Now, with a candor and intimacy never undertaken by a sitting Justice, she recounts her life from a Bronx housing project to the federal bench, a journey that offers an inspiring testament to her own extraordinary determination and the power of believing in oneself. Here is the story of a precarious childhood, with an alcoholic father (who would die when she was nine) and a devoted but overburdened mother, and of the refuge a little girl took from the turmoil at home with her passionately spirited paternal grandmother. But it was when she was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes that the precocious Sonia recognized she must ultimately depend on herself. She would learn to give herself the insulin shots she needed to survive and soon imagined a path to a different life.

Sonia y sus amigos siembran un jardin, y cada uno contribuye a su manera. Rafael tiene asma y a veces debe mantener la calma para poder respirar mejor, lo que le permite pintar bellas rocas para el jardin. Anthony utiliza una silla de ruedas para moverse rapidamente y dirigir al grupo. Anh tartamudea al hablar y prefiere escuchar. Por eso sabe como sembrar cada flor. Todos los amigos son diferentes, pero todos tienen algo en comun: !les gusta hacer preguntas y saber mas acerca de sus companeros! En esta tierna historia que refleja la diversidad, escrita por Sonia Sotomayor, juez del Tribunal Supremo de Estados Unidos, e inspirada en su propia experiencia tras diagnosticarle diabetes durante su infancia, los lectores descubriran como los ninos de esta historia utilizan sus habilidades y fortalezas para trabajar juntos y aprender los unos de los otros. Con vibrantes y llamativas ilustraciones del galardonado artista Rafael Lopez, este libro nos demuestra que las diferencias son maravillosas, y que si en alguna ocasion no entiendes algo, no debes quedarte callado, !SOLO PREGUNTA!

Al ser la primera mujer latina en ser jueza del Tribunal Supremo de Estados Unidos, Sonia Sotomayor es una inspiracion para los jovenes de todas las partes del mundo en la lucha por lograr sus suenos. Pero ?que la inspiro a ella? Para la joven Sonia, la respuesta es: !los libros! Eran su espejo, sus mapas, sus amigos y sus maestros. Los libros la ayudaron a conectar con su familia en Nueva York y en Puerto Rico, a aceptar y entender el diagnostico de su diabetes, a hacer frente a la muerte de su padre, a descubrir los secretos del mundo y a sonar con un futuro en el que todo es posible. En Pasando paginas, Sonia Sotomayor comparte su amor por los libros con una nueva generacion de lectores, estimulandolos a leer, a maravillarse y a realizar sus suenos. Acompanada del arte vibrante de Lulu Delacre, la historia de la vida de Sonia Sotomayor muestra a los lectores que el mundo esta lleno de promesas y posibilidades; lo unico que necesitan es pasar la pagina.

Over the last century, international law, once reserved for arcane matters of diplomacy and trade, has come to encompass a broad range of human experience and activity. In the wake of major historical developments, the nations of the world have created a new set of legal institutions designed to resolve disputes between global actors, to settle conflicts that might otherwise play out on the battlefield, and to offer the promise of justice to those who cannot find it within their own countries. The success of these institutions rests ultimately on the shoulders of just over 200 men and women who serve in a role unheard of less than a hundred years ago: the international judge.
In the United States, the work of international judges is poorly understood, and the institutions that they serve have been frequent targets of misinformed criticism. This volume corrects some of the common American misperceptions about international judges, while providing a balanced introduction to both the strengths and shortcomings of their work. As they rule on crucial issues of war and peace, human rights, and trade, in addition to high-profile criminal trials, international judges are playing a critical role in developments that will affect world affairs - and law and society in the United States -- for years to come.
Based on interviews with over 30 international judges, this volume is the first comprehensive portrait of the men and women in this new global profession. It begins with an overview of international courts and a profile of international judges as a group. The working environment of international judges is closely examined in courts around the world, highlighting the challenge ofcarrying out work in multiple languages, in the context of intricate bureaucratic hierarchies, and with a necessary interdependence between judges and their courts' administration. Arguing that international judges have to balance their responsibilities as interpreters of the law and as global professionals, the authors discuss the challenges of working in the fluid circumstances of international courts. Profiles of five individual judges provide insight into the experience and dilemmas of the men and women on the international bench.