During her confirmation hearing, Judge Sonia Sotomayor will be asked about all the hot-button issues: her views on abortion, the death penalty, the Second Amendment, affirmative action and probably same-sex marriage. If the past is any guide, the issue of meaningful access to the courts for those who are too poor to afford counsel will not be mentioned.
For most justices, the question never comes up when questioned by senators. During the confirmation hearing of Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., it was mentioned only once. In response to a question, he urged private lawyers to do more pro bono. Nothing was said about the obligation of the courts or government to ensure access to all.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]