Sworn in as the first Latina/Hispanic U.S. Supreme Court member on 8 August 2009. She is the 111th associate Supreme Court justice and the third woman to join the court.
Her parents were migrants from Puerto Rico who relocated to New York City in search of a better life.
(May 10, 2010) Merited a position in Time magazine's - The 100 Most Influential People in the World ("Thinkers" category) - with an homage contributed by New York Senator Chuck Schumer.