Yes, Justice Sotomayor Is the Coolest SCOTUS Justice
While there's no doubt about the fact that Justice Ginsburg is the biggest celebrity on the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Sotomayor may be wrestling away the title of coolest judge. Sure, Ginsburg made a big splash with her workout, but Sotomayor can dance! Also, she's credited with saving Major League Baseball.
And though Ginsburg has a big movie coming out about her in a couple weeks, how can you ignore the fact that Sotomayor, and not Ginsburg, has been interviewed by Oprah. Oprah asked the justice some seriously personal questions, and Sotomayor opened up, even explaining that she enjoyed being an appellate court judge more than she enjoys being a SCOTUS justice. As she explains, it's not that she doesn't like the job, but she really felt like she could be herself as the limelight wasn't as bright in lower court.
Spotlight on Sotomayor
In our modern world of smart light switches and digital newspapers, one way the public measures celebrity is through celebrity gossip rags (a.k.a. "entertainment news"). When we look at the TMZ treatment that Sotomayor and Ginsburg have gotten, it's clear that Sotomayor's TMZ appearances seem to focus more on her, and less on Judge Judy.
Sotomayor also wins celebrity-cool cred with her periodic appearances with George and Amal Clooney. Amal, who previously worked for Sotomayor as an NYU student, has praised Sotomayor as one of her idols.
Lastly, if there's any question about which justice is the queen of cool on the SCOTUS bench, Sotomayor has been on Sesame Street not just once to decide many muppet grievances, but also to dispense some sage career advice.
Should Judges be Celebrities?
Judges might want to carefully consider stepping into the limelight. Particularly for those non-federal court judges that might be up for re-election, celebrity status could potentially impact a judge's judgment, though it might actually help when it comes to re-election or getting a federal appointment (think tweeting Justice Don Willett).
But according to one opinion piece in the LA Times (which seems to think that SCOTUS isn't already incredibly partisan), if SCOTUS justices are thrust into celebrity-hood, it could result in the justices digging into the partisan stances of their adoring fans, potentially creating some real dangers to the nation.
Related Resources:
- Justice Stevens to Youths: Repeal the Second Amendment (FindLaw's Supreme Court Blog)
- Amazing and Notorious: RBG Documentary Trailer Released (FindLaw's Supreme Court Blog)
- Do Supreme Court Justices Need Better Security? (FindLaw's Supreme Court Blog)
- Rumors and Rumblings of Kennedy Retirement Go Unanswered (FindLaw's Supreme Court Blog)
