Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
Even though Article IV of the Constitution says that treaties are the 'supreme law of the land', in most instances they're not even law.
To have a romance, you have to have time. I'm a justice. I've written a book. The guy's gonna have to wait until I'm a little bit freer.
There are loads of countries that have nice written constitutions like ours. But there aren't loads of countries where they're followed.
There are some singers that know exactly when to go, and others hang on much too long and that is the same, that is the same with judges.
I was never a liberal. I was radical. I was cynical. I was negative. But, I was never a liberal. I always saw that as too lukewarm for me.
I didn't change the Constitution; the equality principle was there from the start. I just was an advocate for seeing its full realization.
A prime part of the history of our Constitution is the story of the extension of constitutional rights to people once ignored or excluded.
No one who is in business for profit can foist his or her beliefs on a workforce that includes many people who do not share those beliefs.
Each part of my life provided respite from the other and gave me a sense of proportion that classmates trained only on law studies lacked.
I was aware that my nomination was drawing a lot of attention, particularly in the Latino world, not just in Puerto Rico. It was touching.
The court's job is to uphold the Constitution and you don't call that off in times of crisis. Would the framers have allowed this practice?
It is absolutely true that I have served in two Democratic administrations. You can tell something from me and my political views from that.
At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.
More important than your obligation to follow your conscience, or at least prior to it, is your obligation to form your conscience correctly.
If I go home, get a gun, come back and shoot you, that may not be legal under New York law because you would have alternative ways to defend.
The truth of the matter is we have become more interested in designer jeans and break dancing than we are in obligations and responsibilities.
Every constitution written since the end of World War II includes a provision that men and women are citizens of equal stature. Ours does not.
It is important for all of us to appreciate where we come from and how that history has really shaped us in ways that we might not understand.
Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life. Reading shaped my dreams, and more reading helped me make my dreams come true.
I think members of the legislature, people who have to run for office, know the connection between money and influence on what laws get passed.
I do a variety of weight-lifting, elliptical glider, stretching exercises, push-ups. And I do the Canadian Air Force exercises almost every day.
I think that the legitimacy of the court would be undermined in any case if the court made a decision based on its perception of public opinion.
I think it's important to move people beyond just dreaming into doing. They have to be able to see that you are just like them, and you made it.
For in order for capitalism to work -- in order for it to produce a good and a stable society -- the traditional Christian virtues are essential.
I think that even someone who got into an institution through affirmative action could prove they were qualified by what they accomplished there.
People get bent out of shape about the fact that when I was a kid, you could not drink out of certain water fountains. Well, the water was the same.
My dissenting opinions, like my briefs, are intended to persuade. And sometimes one must be forceful about saying how wrong the Court's decision is.
A judge can't have any preferred outcome in any particular case. The judge's only obligation - and it's a solemn obligation - is to the rule of law.
There is nothing new in the realization that the Constitution sometimes insulates the criminality of a few in order to protect the privacy of us all.
[The Freedom of Information Act is] the Taj Mahal of the Doctrine of Unanticipated Consequences, the Sistine Chapel of Cost-Benefit Analysis Ignored.
Anger, resentment, envy, and self-pity are wasteful reactions. They greatly drain one's time. They sap energy better devoted to productive endeavors.
I said on the equality side of it, that it is essential to a woman's equality with man that she be the decision-maker, that her choice be controlling.
The Sixth Amendment secures to persons charged with crime the right to be tried by an impartial jury reflecting a fair cross-section of the community.
You want us to step in and render a decision based on an assessment of the effects of this institution which is newer than cellphones or the Internet?
Same way I have my entire life. Keep my family and friends close. My Latino friends close. I visit the island [Puerto Rico] as often as I humanly can.
If the issue is letting the states experiment and letting the society have more time to figure out its direction, why is taking a case now the answer?
There's substance to the point that sociological information is new. We have five years of information to weigh against 2,000 years of history or more.
I agree with the (Supreme Court's) holding that racial discrimination in higher education admissions will be illegal in 25 years. They are illegal now.
Law matters, because it keeps us safe, because it protects our most fundamental rights and freedoms, and because it is the foundation of our democracy.
If you're poor, you don't often live near a good school. If it's a competitive public school program, our kids are not prepared to enter those programs.
I think there's a large segment of the mainland population that does not really understand the number of territories that are part of the United States.
Winning and losing, that's never been my objective. It's my hope that in the fullness of time, the majority of the court will come to see things as I do.
I have been committed to carrying out my duties... in accordance with both the letter and spirit of all applicable rules of ethics and canons of conduct.
I stand on the shoulders of countless people, yet there is one extraordinary person who is my life aspiration. That person is my mother, Celina Sotomayor.
We have laws against torture. The Constitution says nothing whatever about torture. It speaks of punishment; 'cruel and unusual' punishments are forbidden.
But I know that the vote of 9 out of 10 black Americans for the Democratic Party or for leftist kinds of policies just is not reflective of their opinions.
Good judges develop certain habits of mind. One of those habits of mind is the habit of delaying reaching conclusions until everything has been considered.
In order to have a society in which public issues can be openly and vigorously debated, it is not necessary to allow the brutalization of innocent victims.
When I was growing up, we always had a big family dinner at around noon on Sunday. I still love that whenever it is possible to gather the family together.
I have come to believe that in order to thrive, a child must have at least one adult in her life who shows her unconditional love, respect, and confidence.