U.S. Supreme Court Justice to Visit UA Law School

U.S. Supreme Court Justice to Visit UA Law School

Sonia Sotomayor (The Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States)

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, will participate in a conversation with Dean Mark E. Brandon and Judge William Harold Albritton III at The University of Alabama School of Law for the Fall 2017 Albritton Lecture Sept. 12.

“We are pleased and honored to be able to welcome Justice Sotomayor to the School of Law. Her professional record is stellar and her life’s story inspiring,” said Brandon, dean of the law school.

Justice Sotomayor was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama in 2009. Before joining the Court, she served as a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

The Albritton Lecture Series was established by Judge Albritton and is supported by The Albritton Fund, created in the 1970s by the Albritton family of Andalusia, which has four generations of Alabama Law graduates.

The lecture series counts 11 United States Supreme Court Justices and three foreign Chief Justices among its past participants. Judge Albritton is a 1960 graduate of Alabama Law and U.S. District Court Judge for the Middle District of Alabama, having been appointed to the bench by President George H.W. Bush. The first Albritton lecture was delivered by United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy in 1996.

“This unique lecture series has been limited to Supreme Court Justices and Chief Justices, as well as Chief Justices of foreign nations, to give our students and faculty direct exposure to discussions of the judicial process by those involved at the highest levels,” Judge Albritton said.

The event is open to the public and will take place in the McMillian Lecture Hall, room 287/288 at 2 p.m.. No registration is required.  Seating is limited and early arrival is recommended.

Note that purses, bags, laptops, umbrellas and large jackets will not be allowed in the lecture hall.

Media wishing to cover the event  are asked to notify, in advance, Monique Fields, manager of communications, at 205/348-5195, mfields@law.ua.edu; Shane Dorrill, 205/348-8319, shane.dorrill@ua.edu, and to observe the following restrictions:

  • Photography will be allowed ONLY during the first two minutes of the event.
  • Arrive early – no one will be admitted after the event begins. Limited reserved seating for media will be available on a first come, first-served basis for those who arrive before 1:40 p.m.
  • No equipment bags will be allowed in the lecture hall.

For more information, contact Monique Fields at 205/348-5195.

About Justice Sotomayor

Justice Sotomayor was born in Bronx, New York, on June 25, 1954. She earned a B.A. in 1976 from Princeton University, graduating summa cum laude and receiving the university’s highest academic honor. In 1979, she earned a J.D. from Yale Law School where she served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal. She served as Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office from 1979–1984. She then litigated international commercial matters in New York City at Pavia & Harcourt, where she served as an associate and then partner from 1984–1992. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush nominated her to the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, and she served in that role from 1992–1998. She served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1998–2009. President Barack Obama nominated her as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on May 26, 2009, and she assumed this role August 8, 2009.

About Alabama Law

One of America’s leading public law schools and a “#1 Best Value Law School” in the nation, according to the National Jurist in 2012 and 2013, The University of Alabama School of Law offers a challenging curriculum with over 150 electives, several dual enrollment opportunities, Master of Laws degrees, and a J.S.D. With a student-to-faculty ratio of  8.7:1, the Law School offers students a rigorous, hands-on learning experience, with strong student engagement in clinical programs, law review, moot court and trial advocacy.

Contact

Monique Fields, manager of communications, UA School of Law, 205/348-5195, mfields@law.ua.edu or UA media relations, 205/348-5320