Sonia Sotomayor
Awards & Honours
6
Awards Won
6
Honours
3
Rankings
7
Covers
2
Records
Sotomayor's achievements are historic and wide-ranging. She is the first Hispanic and third woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Her appointment broke a 178-year barrier for Latino representation on the nation's highest court. She has authored over 380 appellate opinions and several majority opinions on the Supreme Court that have shaped constitutional law. Her memoir My Beloved World spent 17 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was adapted for young readers. In 2025, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, recognizing her lifetime of public service and her role as a trailblazer for diversity in the judiciary.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The highest civilian honor in the United States, awarded by President Joe Biden.
National Women's Hall of Fame
Inducted for her contributions to law and society.
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Elected as a member.
American Philosophical Society
Elected as a member.
Key to the City of New York
Awarded by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Key to the City of San Juan, Puerto Rico
Awarded for her service to the Puerto Rican community.
Rankings & Lists
Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women
Time 100 Most Influential People
C-SPAN Supreme Court Justices Ranking
Magazine Covers
Time
May 29, 2009
The Latina Judge: Sonia Sotomayor
Time
August 17, 2009
Sotomayor: The Confirmation
Newsweek
June 1, 2009
Sonia Sotomayor: The Justice Who Could Change the Court
People
June 8, 2009
Sonia Sotomayor: From the Bronx to the Supreme Court
Glamour
October 2009
Sonia Sotomayor: Woman of the Year
Vanity Fair
October 2009
Sonia Sotomayor: The Justice from the Bronx
Vogue
October 2009
Sonia Sotomayor: Style and Substance
Records & Feats
First Hispanic Supreme Court Justice
Sotomayor became the first Hispanic justice in the 220-year history of the Supreme Court upon her confirmation in 2009.
Third Woman Supreme Court Justice
She is the third woman to serve on the Supreme Court, after Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.