**Sonia Sotomayor, US President Barack Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court, is due to face a confirmation vote in the US Senate.**If confirmed, Ms Sotomayor will become the first Hispanic justice and only the third woman to sit on the court.
Observers expect Ms Sotomayor to win the vote comfortably.
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the US, with the power to strike down unconstitutional laws. Once appointed, justices serve for life.
They are nominated by the president, but must receive approval from a majority of senators before they can take up their post.
‘Inspiring’ story
With his fellow Democrats holding a majority in the Senate, Mr Obama is not likely to face any difficulties getting his nominee confirmed.
All 60 Democratic senators are expected to vote for her, as well as a handful of Republicans.
Ms Sotomayor’s supporters say she has a reliable record - and they cite her “inspiring” life story.
RISE OF SONIA SOTOMAYOR
- 1954: Born in South Bronx to Puerto Rican parents
- Father died when she was aged nine and she was raised solely by her mother
- 1979: Graduates from Yale and serves as an assistant district attorney in New York County
- 1984: Moves into private practice, specialising in intellectual property
- 1991: George Bush Snr chooses her as a district judge
- 1997: Bill Clinton nominates her to the circuit court
She was born to poor Puerto Rican parents on a New York public housing project, rising to become a respected judicial scholar and judge.
But some Republicans claim Ms Sotomayer’s record of speeches - and some rulings - shows she allows her opinion to affect her decisions.
During her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, she was asked repeatedly about a speech in which she had remarked that “a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion” than a white male judge.
Critics said the remark could have been perceived as racist, but Ms Sotomayor maintained the comments had been an attempted “play on words” that “fell flat”.
Ms Sotomayor has also been criticised by conservatives for her dismissal of a discrimination lawsuit brought by white firefighters in Connecticut.
Her ruling was later overturned by the Supreme Court.
Because she is replacing a retiring liberal justice - David Souter - correspondents say Ms Sotomayor is unlikely to alter the current political balance of the court.