US Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor (2nd R) walks with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) (R) after meeting in his office in the US Capitol in Washington, June 2, 2009. As the first Hispanic nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor has been praised as a trailblazer in her field but race-based hiring practices will likely loom large at her confirmation hearings. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES POLITICS)