Justice Sotomayor Visits D.C. Bar for Book Talk With President Sadina Montani

Justice Sotomayor Visits D.C. Bar for Book Talk With President Sadina Montani

April 02, 2026

By John Murph & Jeremy Conrad

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and illustrator Jacqueline Alcántara visited the D.C. Bar headquarters on March 25 for a fireside chat with Bar President Sadina Montani. Their talk centered on Justice Sotomayor's book, Just Shine! How to Be a Better You, illustrated by Alcántara. More than 200 adults and children attended the event.

Justice Sotomayor's childhood with her mother, Celina Báez Sotomayor, anchors the book, which tells the story of a young Puerto Rican girl who is shaped by her mother's kindness and empathy toward others.

"My mommy was my best teacher," Justice Sotomayor said when asked about her inspiration for writing the book. "I did not realize that until I thought of all the things she taught me about how to treat people. Her lessons have made me a better person, and I want to share them."

Justice Sotomayor commented more than once about the connections between her work as a judge and as an author, roles that are both deeply rooted in community and collaboration. She shared her philosophy of allowing other people to shine without fearing that her light would diminish in the process, noting that an attorney's success often stands on the shoulders of many other people who aren't in the spotlight.

"I don't know of a lawyer who doesn't have a cadre of associates or partners working with them on cases," she said. "No lawyer does the work by themselves. They may be the one in front of the judge, but they're rarely alone in their work."

During the fireside chat, Justice Sotomayor also touched upon the importance of authenticity and being grounded as a Supreme Court justice. "I spoke about my [professional] drive in my memoir. Most of that drive came from losing my soul," she said. "Absolute power corrupts. I was really afraid that in … [being] catapulted [onto the] global stage, I would lose who I was."

"Trying to remain who you are is a challenge when you're the center of so much attention. I work really hard at trying to maintain Sonia and who I am, and for me that's a full-time job …."

"There are [typically] 1,900 words in a children's book," Justice Sotomayor said. "There is no opinion of the Supreme Court that is so short, but in a children's book you are taking an idea, like I have here, and condensing it into just that. So, I think that the experience has helped my writing as a judge and a justice."

Justice Sotomayor shared her own advice for writers, directing it to the young people present. "The art of telling a story starts with the art of listening and of learning how to encourage others," she said, suggesting that young people interview their elders, asking for details about their recollections and focusing on their personal experiences. "If you want to be a storyteller, start listening to other peoples' stories first."

Illustrator Alcántara shared words of encouragement for the young people present. "I didn't know that illustrations for children's books would lead me to the D.C. Bar," she said, "but you never know where your life is going to take you. You just have to follow what you like to do, and your interest is going to lead you down a very interesting road." She described the connection between her work as an illustrator and the work of an attorney, saying that both are fundamentally concerned with storytelling. "There are so many ways to tell stories. Everybody's story is important, and there is nobody who's going to tell it better than you."