Justice Sonia Sotomayor Speaks at BU Law’s Annual Shapiro Lecture
In November 2025, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor visited Boston University School of Law to deliver the annual Shapiro Lecture. The discussion, hosted by her former clerk and Orrick Supreme Court & Appellate Counsel Cesar Lopez-Morales, covered the broader purpose and humanity behind the practice of law.
“It’s when I began to realize as I was growing up that what law is about is helping people in their relationships. When two people can’t find an answer together, they come to a lawyer, and then a judge.”
Lopez-Morales, a 2014 BU Law graduate, took a leave from Orrick to serve as Justice Sotomayor’s clerk during the October 2023 Term. His conversation with the Justice reflected on lessons from her career and the importance of service and empathy in legal practice.
Photo credit: Cydney Scott / Boston University School of Law
Author’s Summary
Justice Sonia Sotomayor emphasized the human side of law during a conversation with her former clerk at BU Law’s Shapiro Lecture, inspiring reflection on empathy and service in the legal profession.