[Missouri-l] Fwd: ADA Watch on Judge Sonia Sotomayor

[Chip Hailey]

>Delivered-To: chiphailey at cableone.net
>From: "ADA Watch/NCDR" <jward at ncdr.org>
>Subject: ADA Watch on Judge Sonia Sotomayor
>To: chiphailey at cableone.net
>Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:23:39 -0400 (EDT)
><www.adawatch.htm>
>ADA Watch
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>Confirm Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor
>President Obama's Pick Looks Good for Disability Rights
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>(Washington, DC) ADA Watch's "Campaign for Fair Judges" is calling 
>on their organizational partners and colleagues from the disability, 
>mental health, education, civil rights and social justice 
>communities to support Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama's 
>nominee to fill the seat of Supreme Court Justice David Souter.
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>A woman, a Latino and the daughter of immigrants, Judge Sotomayor -- 
>diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 8 -- is also a person with a 
>disabilit under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
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>With the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee having set July 13th as the 
>date for the start of confirmation hearings, ADA Watch's president 
>and founder, Jim Ward has indicated that Judge Sotomayor will 
>receive the full support of ADA Watch, National Coalition for 
>Disability Rights (NCDR) and many of their coalition partners.
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>For nearly a decade, the ADA Watch coalition of national, state and 
>local disability, mental health, education, civil rights and social 
>justice organizations has educated the disability community and the 
>general public regarding the impact of the judicial nominations 
>process on the civil rights of people with physical, mental, 
>developmental, sensory and cognitive disabilities.
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>Ward was among a handful of disability community leaders that 
>recently met with the White House Counsel's Office to outline the 
>priorities of the disability community regarding judicial nominations.
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>Ward stated, "In picking Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama has 
>upheld his commitment to choosing a nominee with a firm grasp on the 
>law and the role of the judiciary and has responded to the hopes of 
>those in the disability rights movement for Supreme Court Justices 
>who understand disability rights and the intent of Congress in 
>passing vital civil rights protections for people with disabilities. 
>Legal research and analysis of Judge Sotomayor's opinions reveal a 
>comprehensive understanding of the language and purpose of the 
>Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Individuals with Disabilities 
>Education Act (IDEA), Rehabilitation Act, Social Security and more."
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>"Furthermore," Ward continued, "in interviews and opinions, Judge 
>Sotomayor reveals an understanding of disability discrimination 
>forged by the personal experience of being diagnosed with diabetes 
>at a young age."
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>In nominating Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court, President 
>Obama said "It's my understanding that Judge Sotomayor's interest in 
>the law was sparked as a young girl by reading the Nancy Drew 
>series. And that when she was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 
>8, she was informed that people with diabetes can't grow up to be 
>police officers or private investigators like Nancy Drew. In essence 
>she was told she'd have to scale back her dreams." Instead, Obama 
>said, her perseverance shows that "no dream is beyond reach in the 
>United States of America."
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>Sotomayor, of course, went on to graduate from Yale Law School and 
>was Assistant District Attorney in New York City. She was nominated 
>to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by 
>President George H. W. Bush in 1991 and confirmed in 1992. In 1997, 
>Sotomayor was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the 
>U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and was confirmed in 
>1998. If she is confirmed, Judge Sotomayor would fill the seat being 
>vacated by Justice David H. Souter, who has had a mixed record on 
>disability rights.
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>For more information regarding Judge Sotomayor's legal opinions, see 
>Bazelon's<http://m1e.net/c?85473591-q5OklHZ1S494w%404353343-eV.EuYdfp0Uew> 
>review and analysis of Judge Sotomayor's opinions in disability cases (PDF)
>
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