The next book in the 2021 alternative reading list is “My Beloved World”, by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The book, published by Vintage Books, is in its first edition.
This book is a very personal memoir by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. In it she describes her childhood, her time at college and law school, and the time she spent in the practice of law. The book ends at the time Justice Sotomayor became a federal district court judge, so there is no discussion of her time on the Supreme Court or of any of the cases she has heard as a judge.
This book was selected by Professor Mary Helen McNeal, Professor of Law at the Syracuse University College of Law and Director of the Elder and Health Law Clinic and London Ex. Professor McNeal was the Director of the Office of Clinical Education at the College of Law for six years. Her research and writing focuses on elder law, restorative justice, culture and lawyering, and clinical teaching. Professor McNeal has a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a J.D. from the University of Maryland.
Professor McNeal chose this book, in part, because she thought that every law student should know that even someone of Justice Sotomayor’s achievements and stature still wondered if she was good enough to attend law school and to be a lawyer. She believes that it is helpful for law students to know that many of us felt that way when coming to law school. Feeling that way did not stop Justice Sotomayor from reaching the pinnacle of achievement for any American lawyer, and that is an important lesson for all law students to keep in mind, especially on those days when nothing in class seems to make any sense.
In a departure from our normal practice with the alternative reading list, there are no focus questions for this book. The book is a deeply personal memoir and detailed focus questions seemed inappropriate for a book of this type. There are, however, some things you might want to keep in mind as you read the book and some questions you might want to ask yourself.
For example, before you start reading this book you might want to ask what your personal image of a judge might be, especially a Supreme Court Justice. Now consider the Justices currently sitting on the Supreme Court. How does your image match the reality of the Court? If your image of a Supreme Court Justice is inconsistent with the reality of the Court, how? Why?
Justice Sotomayor describes a childhood that had a series of challenges. Is it an unhappy childhood? Did those challenges help or hinder her in her progression through life? To what extent do you think it helps a judge to have had challenges such as those faced by Justice Sotomayor? Did you know about Justice Sotomayor’s background before reading this book? To what extent is it helpful to know about a Judge’s (or Justice’s) background before appearing in front of that judge? Would knowledge of that Judge’s background cause you to tailor your presentation any differently from the way the facts and the law might suggest? Why? Why not?
Justice Sotomayor makes an important point, in her preface, that “a personal memoir requires a different writing style than a legal opinion.” What differences do you think she might be speaking about? Based on your expectations of legal writing style, what differences do you think these might be?
Do you want to be a Supreme Court Justice? A judge? A law school professor? What do you want to do with your law degree? It’s impossible to predict what will happen during your career, and it’s dangerous to be too focused on just one career goal, but there’s no harm in having aspirations or career goals in mind as long as you’re willing to modify them as circumstances dictate. What were Justice Sotomayor’s goals and how did they change as she moved through life? What decisions did she make in aid of those goals? Would you make similar decisions?
Justice Sotomayor is a role model for all Americans and all American lawyers, but in particular for women of color. How did she face some of the challenges that were presented to her and how can you improve things so future generations won’t face similar challenges?
Sprinkled through the text, Justice Sotomayor makes important points about many aspects of being a lawyer, such as the role of politeness in advocacy, the importance of respecting everyone’s dignity as human beings and of dealing honorably and professionally with everyone you encounter, and especially with lawyers on the other side of your cases, the importance of structure in written analysis, and the importance of listening and observing carefully during someone else’s oral presentation. Be sure to pay close attention to the entire text but try to learn as much as you can from the practical advice Justice Sotomayor gives to you about how to be the best lawyer possible.