 On June 25 , 1997 , Sotomayor was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit , which was vacated by J. Daniel Mahoney . Her nomination was initially expected to have smooth sailing , with the American Bar Association Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary giving her a " well qualified " professional assessment . However , as The New York Times described , " [ it became ] embroiled in the sometimes tortured judicial politics of the Senate . " Some in the Republican majority believed Clinton was eager to name the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice and that an easy confirmation to the appeals court would put Sotomayor in a better position for a possible Supreme Court nomination ( despite there being no vacancy at the time nor any indication the Clinton administration was considering nominating her or any Hispanic ) . Therefore , the Republican majority decided to slow her confirmation . Radio commentator Rush Limbaugh weighed in that Sotomayor was an ultraliberal who was on a " rocket ship " to the highest court . 
