The Courtroom That Never Adjourns

In 2009, Sonia Sotomayor walked into the United States Supreme Court chamber for the first time as a justice. She later described the overwhelming weight of the moment — the marble columns, the velvet curtain, the hush that fell as the marshal called the court to order. Every eye turned forward. Every voice went silent. The authority in that room was palpable, and she was simply one of nine mortals seated at the bench.…