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The Supreme Court, including its newest member Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, sat for a group photo Tuesday. The high court's new term begins next week. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

On Saturday, Sonia Sotomayor returns to the baseball diamond, throwing out the first pitch at Yankees Stadium.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - When President Obama announced Judge Sonia Sotomayor as his choice to be the next U.S. Supreme Court Justice, he noted that she played a key role in helping bring an end to the 1995 Major League Baseball strike.

"Some say that Judge Sotomayor saved baseball," said Obama, referring to Sotomayor's ruling against the owners that brought the strike to an end.

On Saturday, Sotomayor returns to the baseball diamond – this time taking the field. She will throw out the first pitch at Yankees Stadium.

"Having Justice Sotomayor, a South Bronx native, participate in our yearly Hispanic Heritage Month celebration is very exciting, as she is an inspiration to so many," said Manuel García, Yankees director of Latino Affairs.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor was welcomed to the Supreme Court by her new colleagues in a brief special ceremony Tuesday in the ornate courtroom.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Justice Sonia Sotomayor was welcomed to the Supreme Court by her new colleagues in a brief special ceremony Tuesday in the ornate courtroom.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were among those who attended the investiture of the 111th justice, where the court accepted her commission to serve on the high court.

During the five-minute ceremony, a beaming Sotomayor formally joined the eight other justices on the bench. The court has returned early from its summer recess to hear arguments in an appeal Wednesday dealing with campaign finance reform. It will be the 55-year-old justice's first case.

Among those who attended were members of Congress and the Obama administration, including Attorney General Eric Holder, who formally introduced Sotomayor to those gathered.

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During a White House ceremony Wednesday, President Obama celebrated Justice Sotomayor's swearing-in to the U.S. Supreme Court. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Related video: 'No words can adequately express what I am feeling,' says Sotomayor

(Read Obama's and Sotomayor's remarks during Wednesday ceremony after the jump)
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(CNN) - Sonia Sotomayor, who rose from humble roots in a Bronx, New York, housing project to a high-powered legal career, was sworn in Saturday as the 111th justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

With friends and family looking on, the 55-year-old jurist took the judicial oath in the court's wood-paneled East Conference Room, pledging to "faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent on me."

It was the first time such a ceremony was televised.

Chief Justice John Roberts administered the 62-word oath required of all federal judges. In a private ceremony just moments before, Sotomayor took a separate, constitutional oath across the hall. Both oaths are necessary for her to assume her new duties.

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(CNN) – Sonia Sotomayor will make history Saturday when she is sworn in as the nation's first Hispanic Supreme Court justice.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will swear in Sotomayor twice at the Supreme Court. The first ceremony will be private. A second ceremony will be held in front of Sotomayor's friends and family as well as the media.

It will also mark the first time the oath-taking ceremony will be open to television cameras in the court's history.

Sotomayor, a 55-year-old federal appeals court judge, was confirmed Thursday in a 68-31 vote. Nine Republicans joined a unanimous Democratic caucus in supporting her nomination. The only senator who was not present for the vote was Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, because of illness, but he has supported Sotomayor in the past.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) – With Sonia Sotomayor soon to fulfill her long-held dream to sit on the Supreme Court, she will have the prestige of joining the highest court in the land, lifetime job security, and a public forum as the first Hispanic on that bench.

Her formal swear-in will be Saturday morning at the high court, with Chief Justice John Roberts administering the judicial oath.

The 55-year-old judge now has the opportunity to become a influential force among her new colleagues, a legal pioneer who could help shape the law and its effect on society in any number of ways. But such a legacy will not come easily and it certainly will not come quickly. The internal dynamics of a body built on tradition and stability have long discouraged swift and sweeping forces that are regularly felt in the other branches of government, and society at large.

After her Thursday confirmation by the Senate, Sotomayor will become the junior justice, someone with the least seniority but no less authority than her eight benchmates. She brings with her a bit of history, and is sure to be the focus of public attention and political scrutiny.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court.

Sotomayor was confirmed in 68-31 vote. Nine Republicans joined a unanimous Democratic caucus in supporting her nomination.

The 55-year-old federal appeals court judge will be the 111th person to sit on the high court, and the third woman justice.

A new nationwide poll also showed that a majority of Americans now believe the Senate should confirm Sotomayor.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Judge Sonia Sotomayor was expected to easily win Senate confirmation Thursday as two more Republican senators announced their support for the country's first Hispanic high court pick.

The final day of debate is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., with a vote on her nomination scheduled for about 3 p.m. Legal sources said a White House swearing-in ceremony could happen as early as Friday.

A new nationwide poll also showed that a majority of Americans now believe the Senate should confirm Sotomayor.

Most Senate Democrats and Republicans, however, continued to express sharply differing opinions of Sotomayor's experience and temperament during the full chamber's second day of deliberations.

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A confirmation vote on Sotomayor's nomination is expected by Thursday.

NEW YORK (CNN) - Sen. Kit Bond has become seventh Republican senator to support Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court.

In a speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday, the Missouri lawmaker said the way to get more conservative justices on the Supreme Court is to "work to see we elect presidents who will nominate them." Bond said Sotomayor has "accomplishments and qualities" that make her a capable nominee.

"I do not believe that the Constitution tells me that I should refuse to support her merely because I disagree with her on some cases," Bond said. "I will support her, I'll be proud for her."

Bond is retiring from the Senate at the end of his term. A confirmation vote on Sotomayor's nomination is expected by Thursday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The full Senate is expected to begin deliberations Tuesday on the nomination of federal Judge Sonia Sotomayor to become the nation's first Hispanic Supreme Court justice.

At least five Republican senators have announced their intention to support Sotomayor, making confirmation by the Democratic-controlled Senate a virtual certainty.

A final confirmation vote is expected by Thursday.

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Sen. John McCain announced Monday that he would not vote to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - After days of indecision, Sen. John McCain announced Monday he will oppose the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.

The Arizona Republican said Sotomayor tried "to walk back from her long public record of judicial activism during her confirmation hearing."

The senator's views will not slow the momentum for what is expected to be easy confirmation later this week for the 55-year-old federal appeals court judge. Legal sources say a White House swearing-in ceremony for the nominee could happen as early as Friday, depending on when the Senate casts a final vote before its August recess.

McCain is the latest Republican from a border state with large Hispanic populations to oppose Sotomayor, who would be the first Latina justice. Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, as well as McCain's fellow Arizonan Jon Kyl have all previously announced they would vote against the nominee.

Full McCain statement after the jump:
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The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation polled Americans on the eve of Obama's second 100 days in the White House.

TOPICS: Obama, Congress, economy, race relations, unemployment, Afghanistan, health care, Michael Jackson, Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Sarah Palin, John McCain, George W. Bush, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Sonia Sotomayor, Henry Louis Gates

Full results (pdf)

RELATED STORIES:
- Obama receives a C+
- Obama receives a C+ on foreign affairs
- Obama receives a C- on health care
- Obama receives a C on the economy
- Clinton receives a B-
- Biden receives a C
- Senators receive a C+
- Congress receives a C-
- GOP congressional leaders receive a C-
- Media receives a C

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander said Thursday he would vote in favor of Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court - the sixth Republican, and the first member of GOP congressional leadership, to back President Obama's nominee.

Full statement as released by the senator's office:

Statement of U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander on the Nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to Serve as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

July 30th, 2009 – WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today made the following remarks on the floor of the U.S. Senate on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to serve as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court:

"Mr. President, I have a statement to make about the President’s nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

“Even though Judge Sotomayor’s political and judicial philosophy may be different than mine, especially regarding Second Amendments rights, I will vote to confirm her because she is well qualified by experience, temperament, character and intellect to serve as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

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With Republican senators' support, Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation by the full Senate is a virtual certainty.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved the nomination of federal Judge Sonia Sotomayor to become the nation's first Hispanic Supreme Court justice, setting up a final confirmation vote by the Senate.

The 13-6 committee vote was mostly on partisan lines, with one Republican joining the panel's Democrats in sending the nomination to the full Senate.

At least five Republican senators have announced their intention to support Sotomayor, making confirmation by the Democratic-controlled Senate a virtual certainty.

Sotomayor, 55, is President Obama's first nominee to the nation's highest court. She would be 111th person to sit on the Supreme Court, and the third female justice.

CNN Radio's Hill team reports on Sotomayor's Tuesday win:

The Judiciary Committee held a four-day confirmation hearing earlier this month that foreshadowed Tuesday's vote, with Democrats praising Sotomayor's 17-year record as a federal judge and her made-in-America story as a minority woman who rose to success through hard work and opportunity.

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The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote Tuesday on Judge Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor faces her next hurdle Tuesday morning, as the Senate Judiciary Committee votes whether or not to confirm her.

At least nine Republicans have said they will vote against Sotomayor, 55, Obama's first nominee to the nation's highest court. Five mostly moderate GOP lawmakers announced their intention to back her.

Republicans are not expected to be able to block her approval by the Judiciary Committee or the full Senate, which will vote on her nomination if she gets the green light from the committee.

She will become the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice if she wins full Senate backing.

Obama's Democratic Party holds an 11-7 majority on the Judiciary Committee and a 58-40 edge in the full Senate, with two independents leaning towards the Democrats.

Two key Republicans on the committee announced their opposition to her on Friday, a sign the party's conservative base is uniting against Obama's choice.

Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah - the former chairman of the committee - and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas - head of the party's Senate campaign committee –announced on the Senate floor their intention to vote against the federal appeals court judge.

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Grassley is voting against Sotomayor.

(CNN) – Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Monday he will vote against confirming Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

"I had hoped to be able to vote for Judge Sotomayor to be the next Justice on the Supreme Court, but after a thorough review of the hearing record and her cases, speeches and writings, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot support Judge Sotomayor’s nomination," Grassley said.

It will be the first no vote for Grassley on a Supreme Court nominee in the Iowa Republican's three-decade Senate career.

Full statement after the jump

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Judge Sotomayor was greeted by Sen. Patrick Leahy, center, and Sen. Sessions, right, during her recent confirmation hearings.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee announced Monday that he will not vote to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court.

In an op-ed published in Monday's USA Today, Sessions concedes that Sotomayor "will likely be confirmed." But the Alabama Republican says that "as someone who cares deeply about our great heritage of law, I must withhold my consent."

Sessions says he had decided not to support Sotomayor because of three decisions he finds troubling: a 2006 private property decision, her 2008 New Haven firefighters decision, and a 2009 decision about gun rights.

"These rulings have three things in common," Sessions writes in the newspaper. "Each was contrary to the Constitution. Each was decided in a brief opinion, short on analysis. And each was consistent with liberal political thought."

Sessions is the third Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee to announce his opposition to Sotomayor. He joins Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch and Texas Sen. John Cornyn. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, another Republican on the committee, has announced he will vote for Sotomayor. The committee is expected to vote Tuesday on Sotomayor's confirmation.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Two key Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee announced their opposition to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor on Friday, a further sign the party's conservative base is uniting against President Barack Obama's first high court pick.

Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah - the former chairman of the committee - and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas - head of the party's Senate campaign committee - announced on the Senate floor their intention to vote against the 55-year-old federal appeals court judge.

Hatch's decision came as somewhat of a surprise. The veteran Republican has voted for every high court nominee in his 32-year Senate career - including President Bill Clinton's two liberal choices, Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer.

Hatch had praised Sotomayor's "credentials and experience" and the fact she would be the first Hispanic justice. But despite the nominee's compelling life story, Hatch said that controversial off-the-bench comments by Sotomayor troubled him.

"I reluctantly, and with a heavy heart, have found that I cannot support her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court," Hatch said in a written statement.

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Sen. Orrin Hatch announced Friday that he opposes Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation to the Supreme Court.

(CNN) - Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch said Friday he will vote against Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation to the Supreme Court, the first time the Utah Republican has voted against a high court nominee in his three decades as a member of Senate Judiciary Committee.

"After thoroughly reviewing Judge Sotomayor's record and being able to hear her testimony and responses during the hearing process, I reluctantly, and with a heavy heart, have found that I cannot support her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court," Hatch said in a statement. "In truth, I wish President Obama had chosen a Hispanic nominee that all Senators could support. I believe it would have done a great deal for our great country."

Hatch's announcement came shortly after fellow Senate Judiciary Committee Republican John Cornyn also announced he would not support Sotomayor. So far South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham is the only Republican on the panel who has said he will vote for Obama's Supreme Court pick.

Sotomayor will become the first of 11 Supreme Court nominees Hatch will vote against.

Full statement after the jump:

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