Newswise — President Barack Obama's recent nomination of New York Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court has brought praise from Latino leaders and civil rights and women's advocates around the country. If confirmed, Sotomayor would be the court's first Latina justice. Theodore Bolema, an adjunct professor of finance and business law at Central Michigan University, is available to comment on this historical moment as well as on the upcoming confirmation process.
A few of Bolema's initial thoughts on the subject:
"¢ "Judge Sotomayor has not been known as a strong intellectual judge, so it is possible she may face opposition from some liberal democrats who were hoping for a stronger intellectual force. Personally, she has been very forceful and outspoken in her opinions and public appearances."
"¢ "Judge Sotomayor has been a reliable liberal vote, and often perceived as somewhat anti-business. The latter may be where she brings the greatest change to the court, replacing David Souter whose voting record was quite liberal on social issues, but much less so on economic and regulatory issues."
"¢ "This change may be especially notable in employment discrimination and class action certification cases, where she has issued several notable rulings favoring plaintiffs."
Bolema is a principal in the Anderson Economic Group's East Lansing office, which offers research and consulting services in economics, finance, market analysis and public policy. Among his recent projects are several antitrust and commercial damages cases in federal and state courts where he served as an economic expert.
He is a practicing attorney and also has served as a trial attorney with the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and a special assistant attorney general for the Eastern District of Virginia.
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