I listened very, very carefully to the world around me to pick up the signals of when trouble was coming. Not that I could stop it. But it made me observant. That was helpful when I became a lawyer, because I knew how to read people's signals.

The President [Barack Obama] had suggested that I not watch the news during the confirmation process. I assiduously followed his advice.

I am a product of affirmative action. I am the perfect affirmative action baby. I am Puerto Rican, born and raised in the south Bronx. My test scores were not comparable to my colleagues at Princeton and Yale. Not so far off so that I wasn't able to succeed at those institutions.

If your child marches to a different beat, a different drummer, you might just have to go along with that music. Help them achieve what’s important to them.

I firmly believe in the rule of law as the foundation for all of our basic rights.

I visit the island [Puerto Rico] as often as I humanly can. And I visit with community as frequently as possible, given the demands on me. I meet with kids. I meet with adults. I try to spend time and to listen to people talk about their lives.

I think being a Catholic made me a better person. It taught me how to choose good over evil, and how to be a more caring human being.