Justice Sonia Sotomayor delivered a powerful message to hundreds of attorneys during an American Bar Association event Thursday evening, emphasizing the need for resilience and commitment in the legal field.
“If you’re not used to fighting, and losing battles, then don’t become a lawyer,” she said. “Our job is to stand up for people who can’t do it themselves.”
Her appearance and remarks were described as “an act of solidarity” with the legal community, a phrase she used herself during the speech.
“Right now,” she added, “we can’t lose the battles we are facing.”
While Sotomayor refrained from naming specific events or policies, her speech came at a time when the legal profession is grappling with heightened tensions stemming from policies enacted during the Trump administration. Those included executive actions aimed at major law firms that had opposed or criticized administration positions. The actions reportedly involved revoking security clearances from attorneys, barring access to federal buildings, and discouraging communication between government officials and affected firms.
Justice Sotomayor previously spent time as a summer associate at Paul Weiss, one of the firms at the center of those controversies. The firm faced scrutiny after reaching a compromise with the administration, with critics suggesting it had placed financial interests over principle. Similar decisions were made by several other top-tier firms.
Contrasting those actions, Sotomayor expressed a strong belief in the moral responsibility of legal professionals.
“We need trained and passionate and committed lawyers to fight this fight,” she told the audience. “For me, being here with you is an act of solidarity.”
Her comments were made during a formal awards ceremony held at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, part of the Smithsonian Institution. The event took place in a politically charged atmosphere, with the Smithsonian itself having drawn criticism from former President Trump for what he described as advancing a “divisive, race-centered ideology” and narratives that allegedly cast Western and American values in a negative light.