Batter Up: Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor throws out the first pitch

AP

Get it Justice!  Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor threw out the first pitch at the Chicago Cubs game against the New York Yankees on Saturday at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Arm in Arm: Elena Kagan

Aug. 6, 2010 - "The President walks newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan into the Oval Office before a public ceremony at the White House." (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Sonia Sotomayor - the next liberal giant?

According to the New York Times, that just might be the case. In an article that ran in today's paper, the author suggests that the new justice might be leading the way for the liberal wing of the Supreme Court.

Justice Sotomayor wrote three of the opinions, more than any other justice, and all concerned the rights of criminal defendants or prisoners. The most telling one involved a Louisiana prisoner infected with H.I.V.

The article also continues that she is wrote all 7 opinions for the liberal wing on cases that they didn't hear but still decided to add a comment. You can read the rest of the interesting article, here.

And then there was three...

Its official.

Politicalgirl: 2009 Year in Review - Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Source: Win McNamee/Getty Images

This year we witnessed the first Hispanic woman to be confirmed to the Supreme Court. Only a couple months into his presidency, President Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor, a federal appellate judge to serve on America's highest court.

"[Sotomayor] is an inspiring woman who I believe will make a great justice," stated President Obama.

Source: AP / President Obama, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Born and raised in a housing project in the South Bronx, Justice Sotomayor has really lived the American dream. After her father passed away when she was only nine, she threw herself into her studies and excelled academically. She has often said that her mother is her "greatest inspiration" and that she instilled in her a strong work ethic and emphasized the importance of education early on.