U.S. Chamber Endorses Sonia Sotomayor as Supreme Court Associate Justice

Chamber expects Justices to respect rule of law, not legislate from bench

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The United States Chamber of Commerce today endorsed Sonia Sotomayor to be confirmed as a Supreme Court Associate Justice.

"Consistent with her recent testimony, we expect Judge Sotomayor to engage in fair and evenhanded application of the laws affecting American businesses," said Thomas J. Donohue, U.S. Chamber President and CEO. "Through several years of experience as a law firm partner representing business interests, Judge Sotomayor has spent time considering the litigation environment from our point of view. With her unique experience as both a trial and appellate judge, Judge Sotomayor has seen firsthand the tremendous burdens that our legal system places on businesses."

Pursuant to an endorsement policy instituted in 1987, the U.S. Chamber, with guidance from its National Chamber Litigation Center, evaluated Judge Sotomayor's record from the standpoint of legal scholarship, judicial temperament and an understanding of business and economic issues. Based on these established criteria, the Chamber concluded that Judge Sotomayor is well qualified to serve as a Justice on the Supreme Court. Since 1987, the Chamber has endorsed the nominations of Chief Justice Roberts and Associate Justices Alito, Ginsburg, Breyer, Souter, and Thomas.

"In recent years, the Supreme Court has played an increasingly important role in deciding issues that affect the business community," said Donohue. "A healthy economy requires a healthy respect for the rule of law. We expect all the Supreme Court Justices to apply the law fairly and predictably, and not to legislate from the bench."

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

The National Chamber Litigation Center is the public-policy law firm of the U.S. Chamber.

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