By The Editors

Describing her as “one of the most qualified nominees … for the Supreme Court in decades,” the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) has “strongly” endorsed Federal Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be the Court’s newest Associate Justice.

After closely reviewing her record on the bench in several areas, LDF declared her rulings “shows that Judge Sotomayor is a measured, dispassionate jurist who faithfully adheres to precedent and who meticulously applies the law to the facts before the court.”

The organization’s 29-page report examined Sotomayor’s rulings in cases involving employment discrimination, housing, voting rights and criminal justice issues, among other areas. It concluded that her career “shows a measured, dispassionate jurist who faithfully adheres to precedent and who meticulously applies the law to the facts before the court.”

The organization’s public support for President Obama’s nominee to replace retiring Justice David Souter on the nation’s highest court was timed to coincide with the beginning of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearings on Judge Souter’s judicial career, which began today.

Many legal experts and political observers expect Judge Sotomayor to be ultimately easily confirmed. But the hearing, being broadcast live across several cable and traditional television networks this week, is expected to be contentious. Republican members of the Senate panel have said they will press Sotomayor for her views on abortion and for the “wise Latina” comment she made years ago that has been the subject of controversy since President Obama announced her nomination.

Sotomayor is also sure to be questioned closely about her ruling in the Ricci case, which involved a disputed exam for fire department officers for the city of New Haven. Sotomayor was part of a Federal Court of Appeals majority that rejected  white firefighters’ suit claiming city officials has discriminated against them because of their race. Last month the Supreme Court fashioned a new standard to apply to the case and used that to overturn the ruling of Sotomayor and her Court of Appeals colleagues.