O’Connor ‘pleased’ to see Sotomayor nomination

Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor said Wednesday she was “pleased” that Judge Sonia Sotomayor would add more female representation to the Supreme Court should she be confirmed by the Senate.

“Of course I’m pleased that we will have another woman on the court,” O’Connor said during an appearance on NBC this morning. “I do think it’s important to have not just one.”

O’Connor, who was the first woman on the Supreme Court, has been a longtime advocate for more gender representation on the bench.

“About half of all law graduates today are women, and we have a tremendous number of qualified women in the country who are serving as lawyers,” she said.

O’Connor also wished Sotomayor, who would be the third woman to join the Supreme Court in U.S. history, good luck through what she characterized as a “miserable” process.

O’Connor also deflected criticisms of “judicial activism” ahead of the confirmation hearings, explaining that few understand the meaning of that term.

“I don’t think the public understands what’s meant by it,” she said. “It’s thrown around by many in the political field.”

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