This morning Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, sat before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the first hearings in consideration of the Bronx native for the next seat as a Supreme Court Justice. Recent statements made by Sotomayor have been seen as controversial to many in the senate, and today’s hearings addressed the issue head on.

Many, namely Republicans, fear that Sotomayor will use too much of her personal experiences growing up Latina when exercising her duties on the Supreme Court. Today, Sotomayor reassured allies and critics alike that she will show the utmost “fidelity to the law” in all of her decisions. With Democrats holding the majority vote, most feel she is guaranteed the position for which she is vying. If that is the case, she will be the first Hispanic and only third women to hold the position.