a few weeks after in a, barack obama announced that his choice would be sonia sotomayor.she said i had my cell phone in my right hand and i will left hand on my chest trying to calm my beating heart. i caught my breath, and started to cry and said "thank you, mr. president." sonia sotomayor was president obama's first supreme court appointment, but not his last, when john paul stevens announced his retirement, he appointed elena kagan. some don't even get one appoint appointment. president obama has so far had two, and one big question that has linkersger whether or not he will get another pick as well. the oldest serving member is ruth bader ginsburg. she founded the women's rights project at the aclu. she was the second woman to serve on the supreme court. and all of the speculation is how much longer does she intend to serve. the is 81 years old, survived a number of health cares, it seems like a logical question to ask. then you hear her speak, you hear her opinions, 81 but she is not only still on top of her game, she might be at the height of her game right now. my

her book "breaking in the rise of sonia sotomayor." what did we learn about sonia sotomayor. >> we learned what she has been doing while she has been on the court for the last five years. this book is a political history that tells you how she got on the supreme court, and then what her life has been like since. it picks up where her memoir left off. you learn in the opening chapter how she persuaded her fellow justices to salsa with her. then you also learn how she has been effective behind the scenes on the law, and times when she hasn't been so effective. >> you haveless written a biography of antonin scalia. how are they different? how are they the same? >> well, there are a lot to the same in some ways. both new yorkers, one frommance one from the bronx. both very distinctive personalities, both checking up the court. she has been there since 2009. i would neverunder estimate what she is about to do -- never underestimate what she is about to do. she is a very good agent for himself, not unlike he was for himself, and they both un

president obama so far has chosen sonia sotomayor and alaina kagan. supreme court nominations are among the most important things that any president does ever. and not every iteration of the supreme court hears brown versus board of education or bush v. gore for that matter or roev. wade. not every iteration of the court hears cases that become household names and that change the world drastically and forever. but the scattered showers of the united states has breath taking power. on a mereadeyrad of issues. we're awaiting cases that might elimination the whole of obamacare in one fell swoop. millions of people losing their health insurance at once they could do that. we're awaiting another case that could legalize same-sex marriage nationwide or not. we're waiting another case that could ban the way that states kill their prisoners now by lethal injection. that's all in the next few months. the supreme court is really important. and a president's choices around who they would put on the supreme court are among the most important criteria we have when

sonia sotomayor, on your point, what is important about this case is precisely that it is unusual. what is unusual is the applicant found out why she was not hired and most of the time the person never finds out no accommodation was made. the employers in the accommodation would be needed and never told. >> in a lawsuit of course. >> and then find out. >> face certainly could. >> it happens often. >> i am not sure it does. that makes this an important case. most applicants unlike employees who are not positioned to go back and forth with their employer and understands applicants are at an informational disadvantage. they don't know the work rules and in this case it is undisputed did she did not. picking up on something elena kagan was pointing out, the background rule is belief is sufficient but what makes this case particularly strong is this is believed plus assumption, acted on that belief and assumed she would need accommodation from work will and they were wrong to conclude otherwise. >> the case is submitted. >> the house and senate have a temporary spending measure to fund

joan biskupic what have we learned about sonia sotomayor? >> guest: we have learned what she's been doing while she's been on the court for the last five years. this is a political history that tells you how she got on the supreme court and what her life has been like since. it picks up where her memoir left off so you learn in the opening chapter how she persuaded her fellow justices to salsa with her. but then you also learn how she has been affected by mind the scenes on bob and sometimes she hasn't been so effective. if. >> host: you also read a biography of anton scalia. how are they different and how are they the same? >> guest: they are the same in some ways. they're both new yorkers, one from queens and one from the bomb -- bronx going through distinctive personalities both shaking up the joint in different ways. i would never ever asked me what she is about to do. not unlike the way he was and they both understand the importance of being visible. look how visible justice scalia has been with his own books on the go visible she has b

association of women lawyers at the confirmation hearing of supreme court justice sonia society -- sonia sotomayor. she-- joann said the following about her legal career, and i'm quoting, i've spent much of my career not seeing ahead of me someone who was like me and i had to make my way without that. i want to be a resource for young people entering the profession that i never had." joanne's dedication to both legal education and the legal profession has helped empower countless young attorney's to exceed expectations and to fulfill their dreams. joanne epps is here today in the gallery of the senate and as the rules tell us we're not allowed to acknowledge those in the gallery. i'm saying that for my friends but she's joined by family and friends and i'm going to go through a list here and if i miss someone someone will tell me later. starting with her husband. l. harrison jay. her uncle harold ashton. her cousins eric ashton, joan and tommy fry. donnie debbie and adrian and christopher jackson and marcia and glenn yarborough. i'll hear if i miss someone a little later. but we're honored that sh

her book "breaking in the rise of sonia sotomayor." what did we learn about sonia sotomayor. >> we learned what she has been doing while she has been on the court for the last five years. this book is a political history that tells you how she got on the supreme court, and then what her life has been like since. it picks up where her memoir left off. you learn in the opening chapter how she persuaded her fellow justices to salsa with her. then you also learn how she has been effective behind the scenes on the law, and times when she hasn't been so effective. >> you haveless written a biography of antonin scalia. how are they different? how are they the same? >> well, there are a lot to the same in some ways. both new yorkers, one frommance one from the bronx. both very distinctive personalities, both checking up the court. she has been there since 2009. i would neverunder estimate what she is about to do -- never underestimate what she is about to do. she is a very good agent for himself, not unlike he was for himself, and they both un

supreme court justice sonia sotomayor has been backing away from her pre-confirmation position that camerasn the supreme court might be a good thing. a quote in today's "washington times" noted that to use this report as a stage rather than a courtroom meantime moving more closely to saying that i think it might be a bad idea. for more on cameras in the court and c-span's role in the court we want to turn to justice kagan's statement of policy when she was asked about her need cameras in the supreme court. [video clip] >> i used to be solicitor general and i used to go up there for not only my own argument but because they were people in my office with different argument. i was there day after day in the front row, kind of getting this front row seat to this institution. we used to think, this is really quite amazing how well this institution operates, and if people were able to see it, you know, these nine people with a differing range of views about legal matters, but all coming in and taking their seats on the bench so well prepared, who asked such excellent questions and who in my mind