Sotomayor holds court

Apparently, no one told Sonia Sotomayor that Supreme Court justices are supposed to be circumspect, emerging from their marble palace mainly to dispense legal wisdom to law schools, judges’ conferences and lawyers’ meetings.

Since becoming the first Hispanic justice, Justice Sotomayor has mamboed with movie stars, exchanged smooches with musicians at the White House and thrown out the first pitch for her beloved New York Yankees. A famous jazz composer even wrote a song about her: “Wise Latina Woman.”

In short, Justice Sotomayor has become a celebrity — all without having made a single major decision at the nation’s highest court.

It’s not that other justices don’t have their own particular glamour.

Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia — both opera lovers — recently had roles in the opening performance of “Ariadne auf Naxos” for the Washington National Opera. Other justices have done tours to promote their books.

But that kind of fame rarely reaches the man on the street.

Few Americans can name most of the justices. “Many, many, many more Americans can name the Seven Dwarfs than they can the people on the Supreme Court,” said Bob Thompson, professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University.

No so for Justice Sotomayor.

Autograph seekers, picture takers and well-wishers hound her wherever she goes, months after her confirmation hearing, swearing-in and first appearance in the courtroom.

Recently, the new justice was swarmed by people with cameras the minute she appeared in the Grand Foyer of the White House during a celebration of Latino music.

The throng around her didn’t part until the hundreds of concert guests were ushered to their seats in a giant tent on the South Lawn, and it quickly regrouped once the concert ended. Some of those lucky enough to get photos with the justice squealed and proudly displayed their happy-snaps for others in the crowd.

At that event, only Justice Sotomayor got a standing ovation when President Obama read a list of famous Hispanics from government, music and acting who were present, including George Lopez, Jimmy Smits, Los Lobos, Sheila E. and Eva Longoria Parker. Mrs. Parker later pulled Justice Sotomayor on stage with all the musicians and the first family as everyone hugged and exchanged smooches during the finale.

Hollywood and the world of music are also paying attention to her. One of the most popular YouTube clips of Justice Sotomayor is her confidently mamboing with “La Bamba” actor Esai Morales at a National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts just weeks after she was confirmed.

The song that Justice Sotomayor and Mr. Morales were dancing to? Bobby Sanabria’s “Sotomayor Mambo.”

And that’s not the only song dedicated to her. Grammy award-winning jazzman Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra this month debuted “Wise Latina Woman,” penned by Mr. O’Farrill and commissioned by the Bronx Museum of the Arts and Symphony Space in honor of Justice Sotomayor.

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