On Thursday, Judge Sonia Sotomayor called on her fellow lawyers to stand up for the judiciary amidst attacks from the Trump administration following a recent ruling.
“Our role is to advocate for those who can’t do it themselves, and we should be champions for causes that seem lost,” Sotomayor remarked at an event held by the American Association.
She emphasized the urgency of the situation: “We can’t afford to lose this battle, and we need passionate, skilled lawyers to fight it.”
While the Supreme Court justices didn’t directly name President Trump, her statements come during a time of growing tension in the legal field, as Trump has pressured law firms he perceives as adversarial. He has also criticized judges who have ruled against him.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson echoed similar sentiments last week, encouraging judges to remain resolute amid these challenges. “Judges across the nation are facing heightened threats of professional retaliation, not just for violence but for fulfilling our duties,” she said at a judges’ meeting in Puerto Rico.
These comments arise after Trump’s push to control the situation involving the potential removal of gang members from Venezuela. “If the president can’t remove dangerous criminals, then some radical judge is trying to take over the president’s role, which spells disaster for our country!” Trump posted on Truth Social in March.
Meanwhile, conservative Supreme Court Justice John Roberts admonished Trump, stating that proposing a chair for firing officials for not supporting the administration was inappropriate. “For over two centuries, it’s been understood that disagreements over judicial decisions aren’t addressed by such measures. There’s a regular appeals process for that,” Roberts noted.
The White House has yet to reply to inquiries regarding Sotomayor’s remarks.
