Sotomayor First—and Second—Justice to Break ‘Quiet Time’ Rule

Justice Sonia Sotomayor twice violated the Supreme Court’s new guidance allowing attorneys two minutes of argument time before justices are allowed to jump in to ask questions.

The justices held their fire during the first six arguments of the term until Sotomayor was the first to violate the guidance Oct. 16. The court released the guidance Oct. 3, saying that the justices “generally will not question” lawyers during the first two minutes of their arguments.

“Even if they were applying to a college?” Sotomayor asked McDermott Will & Emery attorney Paul Hughes shortly after he took the lectern in an ...