Sotomayor fitting in well on the liberal bloc of the court again today, despite our past worry

[usregimechange]

Held: The calculation of an attorney’s fee based on the lodestar may be increased due to superior performance, but only in extraordinary circumstances.

ALITO, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which ROBERTS, C. J., and SCALIA, KENNEDY, and THOMAS, JJ., joined. KENNEDY, J., and THOMAS, J., filed concurring opinions.BREYER, J., filed an opinion concur-ring in part and dissenting in part, in which STEVENS, GINSBURG, and SOTOMAYOR, JJ., joined.

And in opposition again to conservative judicial activism:

"Where the majority and I part ways is with respect to a question that is not presented, but that the Court obliquely, and in my view inappropriately, appears to consider nonetheless—namely, whether the lower courts correctly determined in this case that exceptional circumstances justify a lodestar enhancement... I would not reach that issue, which lies beyond the narrow question that we agreed to consider." -JUSTICE BREYER, with whom JUSTICE STEVENS, JUSTICE GINSBURG, and JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR join, concurring in part and dissenting in part.

[usregimechange]

1. Link:

http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-970.pdf

[EFerrari]

2. Sonia will one day lead the liberal bloc.

She was a great choice.

[napi21]

4. I doubt it will be a long time away either. Ruth is getting pretty old.

I am pleased with Obama's choice & I am confident his current choice, no matter who it is, will be equally good or better.

[Drunken Irishman]

3. Our past worry? I never worried.

[mr_liberal]

5. I liked her vote on the animal cruelty case.

that showed that she's at least that good on free speech.

I think we need many more cases to know for sure though.

But I have to admit, I was, and still am, one of those that worried, an I am stating to be convinced that she's reliable liberal vote.