President Obama's nominee to become the 111th justice of the U.S. Supreme Court is a woman who has always earned her way to the top of the class. The life story of Judge Sonia Sotomayor is, quite literally, a remarkable retelling of the American Dream. Once confirmed, Judge Sotomayor will become the first Hispanic to serve on the high court, and just the third woman to sit on the nation's highest court.

SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger spoke on the start of Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor:

"Today, millions of Hispanic children and young girls of every race, religion and background will look at coverage of Judge Sotomayor's confirmation hearing in their newspaper, TV or computer screen and picture themselves in her chair. They will know they from this day forward that with hard work, dedication and never giving up on their American Dream, they too can one day serve on our nation's highest court.

"It is a dramatic reminder to the world that America is still the land of opportunity. Even if you are born to a Puerto Rican family as the daughter of a nurse and a factory worker and grow up in a public housing project in the South Bronx you can ascend to lead a distinguished legal career on the federal bench, and become Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

"There are few people with Judge Sotomayor's legal acumen and accumulated wisdom. But beyond her brilliance, her three-decade career in the law and her distinguished record, Judge Sotomayor's personal story of achievement has given her a rare insight into the lives of people who get up and go to work each day to make a better life for their families. She is an extraordinary choice for this moment and for the future challenges this country will see."

The Sotomayor hearings will continue throughout the week, and we encourage you to post your own analysis of the hearings, questions or feedback in the "Comments" section below.