Sotomayor Confirmation Hearings Underway!

(Photo courtesy - Blog of Legal Times - Credit Diego M. Radzinschi)

The long-awaited day is here.  Shortly after this writing is posted, Judge Sotomayor will be introduced and will give remarks.  If you are not near a television, interview viewing is available at C-SPAN, ABC News, CNN, and PBS.  SCOTUSBlog will also be liveblogging the event.

If you want to edify yourself prior to the hearing, SCOTUSBlog has a helpful list of all of the reports regarding Judge Sotomayor's judicial rulings.  A list of the witnesses expected to appear can be found here.

Over at Balkinization, Jack Balkin has a great post about the value of these confirmation hearings.   He states, in part:

Many people are frustrated by the senators' tendencies to showboat and posture. On the other hand, senators are keenly attuned to public opinion. If confirmation hearings succeed in focusing the public on the Constitution and shape constitutional common sense in line with the mainstream of public opinion, they help serve a important goal. They help, in limited ways, to signal to the judiciary-- and not just to the candidate-- how the public feels about the Constitution and the role of the judiciary.

This is an interesting point.  If true, based on the proceedings thus far, we should get an intriguing discussion about the definition and limits of "judicial activism" as well as the methods of interpreting the Constitution.   

As always, we will keep you abreast of the lastest news and provide analysis. 

NLS