 Based upon another recommendation from Cabranes , Sotomayor was a member of the board of directors of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund from 1980 to 1992 . There she was a top policy maker who worked actively with the organization 's lawyers on issues such as New York City hiring practices , police brutality , the death penalty , and voting rights . The group achieved its most visible triumph when it successfully blocked a city primary election on the grounds that New York City Council boundaries diminished the power of minority voters . 
