WASHINGTON — In nominating Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, President Obama tapped a veteran jurist whose humble upbringing and moderate-to-liberal record is unlikely to trigger an ideological battle in the Senate.
Sotomayor, 54, would be the first Latino on the court. Legal experts said that her narrowly written opinions resembled those of the justice she would replace, David H. Souter. She has not ruled squarely on controversial issues such as gay rights or abortion.
Standing with Sotomayor by his side in the East Room of the White House, Obama said, "I have decided to nominate an inspiring woman who I believe will make a great justice."
The president said he had considered many factors in his selection: "First and foremost is a rigorous intellect. . . . Second is a recognition of the limits of the judicial role," noting that "a judge's job is to interpret, not make, law." Obama also said he wanted a nominee with "a sense of compassion, an understanding of how the world works and how ordinary people live."
Sotomayor, who was raised in a Bronx housing project, spoke of the inspiration that her family and the law had provided.
"For as long as I can remember," she said, "I have been inspired by the achievement of our Founding Fathers. They set forth principles that have endured for more than two centuries. . . . It would be a profound privilege for me to play a role in applying those principles to the . . . controversies we face today."
In a statement after the nomination was announced, the abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America said: "We look forward to learning more about Judge Sotomayor's views on the right to privacy and the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision as the Senate's hearing process moves forward."
One of Sotomayor's colleagues on the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said he was surprised that some conservative groups had called Sotomayor a liberal or an activist judge.
"We have some judges on the left end of the spectrum. Sonia's well in the middle," said Judge Guido Calabresi, a former Yale Law School dean. "That's one of the things I have been pointing out to people. . . . Activism has a meaning -- judges who reach out to decide things that aren't before them. Sonia simply doesn't do that."
"She is a moderate liberal who often rules in favor of corporations and against civil rights plaintiffs," said Kevin Russell, a Washington lawyer who has studied her writings in recent weeks.
