 Sonia Maria Sotomayor ( / <unk> <unk> / , Spanish : [ <unk> <unk> ] ; born June 25 , 1954 ) is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States , serving since August 2009 . She has the distinction of being its first justice of Hispanic heritage , the first Latina , its third female justice , and its twelfth Roman Catholic justice . Sotomayor , along with John Roberts and Elena Kagan , is one of the youngest justices on the Supreme Court . 
