'That law school failed': Sonia Sotomayor takes swipe at Pam Bondi

[LetMyPeopleVote]

Last edited Tue Sep 16, 2025, 08:55 PM - Edit history (1)

It is basic First Amendment law that there is no First Amendment exception for "hate" speech. Bondi deserved this slap down by Justice Sotomayor

'That law school failed': Sonia Sotomayor takes swipe at Pam Bondi

— Raw Story (@rawstory.com) 2025-09-16T17:30:08Z

https://www.rawstory.com/pam-bondi-law

Less than 24 hours after Attorney General Pam Bondi attempted to make the case that the First Amendment has a carve-out that makes “hate speech” subject to prosecution, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor took a not-too-veiled shot at the Donald Trump appointee.

According to a report from Politico, with the next Supreme Court term just around the corner at the beginning of October, Sotomayor took the stage Tuesday morning for questions on a panel hosted by New York Law School.

Late Monday, Bondi told podcaster Katie Miller, the wife of extreme rightwing Donald Trump adviser Stephen Miller, “There’s free speech and then there’s hate speech, and there is no place, especially now, especially after what happened to Charlie [Kirk], in our society."

She added, "We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech — and that’s across the aisle.”

As Politico’s Erica Orden wrote, the Yale Law School-trained Sotomayor never mentioned Bondi by name, but it was clear who she was talking about.

“Every time I listen to a lawyer-trained representative saying we should criminalize free speech in some way, I think to myself, that law school failed,” Sotomayor pointed out.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. NSS. I could do a better job than Bondi --

and I graduated second from the bottom of my class.

[Skittles]

2. her main role is Trump humper, not a lawyer

yes indeed

[GoodRaisin]

3. Can't wait to see all the "across the aisle" Republicans Bondi goes after.

Yeah, right.

[the nelm]

4. If Biondi wants to take on "hate speech" maybe she should consider starting with her boss. n/t

[littlemissmartypants]

6. Or a mirror.

[vanlassie]

8. And- wait for it- she was being interviewed by by Stephen Miller's wife?

[Paladin]

5. Nice one, Justice Sotomayor. (nt)

[pfitz59]

7. Bondi should have been disbarred long ago

When her 'pay for play' scheme was outed in Florida. Its time Congress, or an actual reporter took a close look at her bank accounts and investments.

[Orrex]

9. Has Bondi charged Sotomayor for using hate speech yet?

[sl8]

10. Did you mean to write "there is *no* First Amendment exception for 'hate' speech..."? nt

[LetMyPeopleVote]

11. Not when I got the high grade in my First Amendment class a long time ago

The law has not changed on this issue since I was in law school

[sl8]

12. Bondi is the one saying that there *is* a hate speech exception to the First Amendment.

J Sotomayor is criticizing lawyers that say things like that.

[tritsofme]

13. Re-read what you wrote. I don't believe you meant to say there IS a hate speech exception to the First Amendment.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

14. Bondi wants to target people who use hate speech