St. Thomas University recently hosted U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor for a series of formal and informal gatherings bringing together students, faculty, and local and university leadership.
Justice Sotomayor’s day-long visit in South Florida included a small working breakfast, a visit with STU College of Law’s champion Trial and Moot Court Teams, and meetings with editors of STU’s law reviews and law journals. The highlight of Justice Sotomayor’s visit was a moderated 90-minute conversation that included 270 students, 30 faculty members and STU staff.
Justice Sotomayor’s visit was facilitated by Professor Kevin Frazier, an Affiliated Scholar of Emerging Technology and the Law at STU’s Benjamin L. Crump College of Law.
“Exceptional faculty, such as Professor Frazier, are one of the focuses of our College of Law as we continue to make strides in our quest for continued excellence,” commented Dean Tarlika Nuñez-Navarro. “We are honored by Justice Sotomayor’s visit and deeply value the insights she shared with our students.”
During her illuminating and engaging moderated conversation, Justice Sotomayor spoke about our tendency to become adversarial when disagreeing with peers based on politics. She then asked us to remember that those we disagree with do not necessarily come from a place of evil but from a different life experience. She stressed the need for understanding and looking for common ground through active listening and the free exchange of ideas.
“Balance is an integral part of civil discourse,” said St. Thomas University President David Armstrong, J.D. “Here at STU, we champion dialogue that seeks the truth, knowing that God is always at the center. We were proud and blessed to host Justice Sotomayor. Her wise words inspired our faculty to continue developing students who become ethical leaders in our communities and inspired our law students to become exceptional lawyers.”
Justice Sotomayor is the third Supreme Court Justice to visit St. Thomas University. In 2024, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson joined one of Assistant Law Professor Brian Potts’ tort classes, engaging with STU law students via Zoom. In November 2011, Justice Antonin Scalia shared a day with the STU community.
During her moderated conversation, Justice Sotomayor spoke about Scalia’s dedication to traveling the country and speaking to as many communities as possible. Sotomayor is proud to continue that tradition and mentioned that she had also presented several talks throughout the country. As she ended her talk, Justice Sotomayor received a heartfelt standing ovation from a packed Judge Peter T. Fay Moot Court Room.
St. Thomas University in Miami is one of the South’s premier Catholic universities. It is a private, nonprofit institution – a Miami Archdiocesan university, the only archdiocesan university in Florida, and one of just 11 nationwide.
