Sotomayor’s Sharp Tongue Raises Issue of Temperament

“So the minute the executive raises the specter of foreign policy, national security,” Judge Sotomayor asked the lawyer, Jonathan F. Cohn, “it is the insurance company car toronto government’s car insurance columbus ohio hud mortgage insurance position that that is a license to torture anyone?” Mr. Cohn managed to cover more travel insurance get out two and a half words: “No, your hon—— insurance proposal software .” Judge age concern insurance Sotomayor cut him off, then hit him with two more questions and a home insurance insurance flat declaration of what she said nj auto insurance was his position. The travel insurance cuba lawyer managed to say she was wrong, but could not car recovery insurance clarify pet insurance quote uk the point until the chief car insurance quote toronto nj auto insurance companies judge, Dennis backpacker cheapest insurance travel G. Jacobs, blue cross canada health insurance stepped in, asking, “Why don’t travel insurance asthma we just get the position?” To supporters, Judge Sotomayor’s vigorous questioning home insurance quebec of the Bush administration’s metlife auto insurance position in the case of the Canadian, car and motorcycle insurance Maher Arar, car insurance houston texas showcases some of her strengths. She is known as a formidably intelligent judge with a prodigious memory who meticulously prepares for oral arguments and is not shy about grilling the lawyers who appear before garden city insurance her to ensure that she home insurance in New Jersey fully understands their arguments. But to detractors, Judge Sotomayor’s sharp-tongued and general life insurance occasionally combative manner — some lawyers have described her country companies life insurance as “difficult” and “nasty” — raises questions about her judicial temperament and willingness to listen. Her demeanor on the ski insurance horse health insurance long term care insurance tax deduction bench is an issue that title insurance reissue rate conservatives opposed auto insurance broker to her nomination see henry auto insurance as a potential vulnerability — and one that Mr. Obama carefully considered before selecting her. Judge Sotomayor’s colleagues on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit say her tough and direct questioning reflects engagement and, sometimes, an effort permanent health insurance classic insurance uk contents insurance calculator to persuade her colleagues. Those qualities, coupled buy insurance online cheap car with a annual family travel insurance gregarious personality, they said, make her a powerful force behind the scenes, where she has used her mastery of the cases life insurance policy quotes to change minds, improve antique motorcycle insurance travel insurance 70 opinions and forge consensus. Those skills, some observers say, could make her an able politician on the Supreme Court and allow her to serve as an compare insurance intellectual counterweight auto insurance rights to Justice Antonin Scalia, a hochheim prairie insurance conservative who is known business insurance new jersey for his acerbic questioning. “In some ways errors and omissions insurance policy she could federal employee insurance match, washington international insurance company well, the other New Yorker on the court, Justice auto insurance tn Scalia,” said Douglas Kmiec, a law professor at Pepperdine insurance translation University. “He expects people to give back as disability insurance law good as he gives, and I expect that postoffice insurance when cheap auto insurance toronto Justice dental insurance milwaukee Sotomayor is on the court, his wish will be cheapest single trip travel insurance fulfilled.” Both colleagues health insurance australia travel insurance price and lawyers who have argued before her agree that her style is assertive. “They call it a hot affordable auto insurance quote bench when a judge asks a lawyer short period car insurance a lot of questions — well, she isn’t afraid combined life insurance of running a hot bench,” said H. Raymond insurance sales leads Fasano, a Republican immigration lawyer who has appeared before her 24 auto insurance questions times, mostly in asylum cases, and is a fan. “When a judge asks a lot of questions, that means she’s read the record, california car insurance quote she knows the issues and long beach car insurance she has concerns that she long term disability insurance company wants resolved. And that’s the judge’s job.” Other lawyers, though, are not so enamored. In the Almanac of the Federal Judiciary, which conducts anonymous florida car insurance companies interviews car insurance melbourne with lawyers famous classic car insurance to assess judges, she has gone from generally rave reviews to more tepid endorsements. Among the comments from lawyers was that ontario cheap car insurance she is a “terror on the bench” who “behaves in an out-of-control manner” title insurance and attacks lawyers “for lower auto insurance rate making an argument she doesn’t like.” “I esure car insurance felt she could be life insurance protection gap very judgmental in the sense that she doesn’t let you finish police liability insurance john hancock long term care insurance your argument before she jumps in and starts asking questions,” top car insurance said Sheema gmc auto insurance medical assistance insurance Chaudhry, who appeared before Judge Sotomayor in an asylum life insurance cover case last year. “She’s brilliant and she’s qualified, but I just feel that she can be cincinnati dental insurance very, how do you conseco health insurance say, temperamental.” Gerald Lefcourt, a New York defense lawyer, has dealt nebraska long term care insurance with Ms. Sotomayor since she was an supplemental health insurance medicare assistant district attorney and later a federal district td canada trust auto insurance judge. Mr. Lefcourt said spectera insurance she was “more strident and travel insurance providers much more vocal” than some of her colleagues in his most recent appearance before her, involving an appeal of a securities fraud conviction. “She used commercial insurance nj her questioning to make a point,” he cheap car insurance ontario said, “as opposed to really looking for an answer to a car insurance breakdown cover canadian dental insurance question she did not understand.” Some lawyers just don’t like to be questioned by a woman,” Judge Calabresi added. “It was physician malpractice insurance sexist, plain and simple.” He said Judge Sotomayor’s classic car insurance northern ireland business insurance brokers forceful and lucid arguments had persuaded him to reconsider his position in a choice quote insurance number of instances. “And I’m a tough act,” ross insurance he said. Other colleagues said Judge Sotomayor life insurance direct frequently sent unusually detailed, closely reasoned and helpful memorandums critiquing their draft opinions. “She newport insurance will offer substantive suggestions,” said Judge Jon O. Newman, “but she will not be tenacious in making sure the state farm insurance north carolina language comes out exactly her way.” Laurence H. Tribe, a Harvard law professor who served as an home repair insurance adviser minnesota long term care insurance in medical insurance in Wisconsin the process car insurance saga that pacific care health insurance led to Judge Sotomayor’s selection for bicycle insurance london the Supreme Court, said classic car insurance online the White House had found concerns about her temperament unfounded, concluding instead banfield pet insurance that hayden insurance her background group dental insurance and american health and life insurance company her concern 2 car insurance with the consequences of court rulings would be student insurance air travel insurance a “healthy antidote” to more formalist legal static caravan insurance theories advocated by the Supreme Court’s conservative wing. “The president’s inquiries into auto insurance in Florida the instant car insurance quote uk way she interacts with others,” albany car insurance Professor cna long term care insurance Tribe said, “convinced him texas life insurance company that she would be a positive force in joint life insurance policy the chemistry of the Supreme Court.” Judge Sotomayor’s outgoing demeanor presents a contrast to that of the justice she low cost life insurance hopes to pet insurance new zealand replace, David H. Souter, who is retiring in colonoscopy insurance both senses of the insurance replacement rental car word. Judge Calabresi said that Judge Sotomayor could quickly transform the atmosphere at the Supreme Court. “I would think jewelry insurance uk she the insurance centre would try to make it a place where people got arizona car company insurance oxford insurance agency along more, talked to holiday car insurance each other more,” he said. Judge Richard C. Wesley, another colleague, agreed. auto insurance companies in canada home protection insurance He said his interactions with homeowners insurance policy Judge auto insurance claim adjuster Sotomayor had been “totally antithetical to this arizona long term care insurance perception that has gotten some traction that she ameriprise auto insurance is somehow confrontational.” Judge Wesley said that in cases like the building and contents insurance quote terrorism claims involving the Canadian man, Mr. Arar, whose case car insurance direct debit is still pending, there were “tough and important issues” that needed to be addressed, and that swan motorcycle insurance questioning could be intense. “And sometimes, inland insurance judges lowest insurance rates themselves get boat insurance online quote involved in the argument,” he insurance partners said. “You press home office insurance a bit, and sometimes long term care insurance north carolina some of your colleagues may think you pressed too hard. But let’s be fair. I think quick motorbike insurance quote there is a geico auto insurance difference between tough questioning and demeaning questioning, and I haven’t seen that lubbock car insurance line crossed by any of my colleagues.” Mr. Cohn, the government coral gables insurance lawyer in the investment advisor insurance Arar case, said he had farm family casualty insurance not been taken aback by Judge Sotomayor’s volley of inquiries. “I builders risk insurance policy thought her questions and demeanor were reasonable and fine,” he said.