The Senate Judiciary Committee will start confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court on July 13.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), the chairman of the committee, made the announcement today. Supporters want Sotomayor on the court by the start of the October term.

Sotomayor sits on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, which has heard some significant land claims and land-into-trust cases. However, she has not participated in any of them and has only ruled on two Indian law cases.

Get the Story:
Senate Sets Sotomayor Hearing Date (The Washington Post 6/9)

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