Related: Sotomayor’s Embrace of Mandatory Pro Bono Garners Praise and Pushback
American Law Institute president Roberta Cooper Ramo also quizzed Sotomayor, asking her at one point about the reaction she gets from the many nonlaw audiences she speaks to.
“Most lay people have no idea what lawyers do,” Sotomayor responded. “They ask, ‘Why are there so many courts?’ ”
Turning to the hundreds of lawyers at the institute meeting, Sotomayor said: “It is very important for us to understand that we have to educate the people about the importance of law.”
Sotomayor was also asked the perennial question about whether video of the high court’s proceedings should be allowed and broadcast.
“It is a much more complex question than I thought,” she said. During her visits with senators before being confirmed in 2009, she said, many of them told her the collegiality of the Senate was spoiled by the presence of cameras.
The American Law Institute, an independent organization composed of lawyers and judges, develops restatements of the law and model codes that governments can adopt. On Tuesday, institute members are scheduled to discuss controversial proposed changes in the model penal code regarding the definition of sexual assault.
Retired Justice John Paul Stevens is scheduled speak to the group on Tuesday.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]
