Join us for an evening with Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Jacqueline Alcántara.
The D.C. Bar is honored to host U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and acclaimed artist Jacqueline Alcántara for an engaging conversation exploring their collaborative work, Just Shine! How to Be a Better You.
Inspired by the enduring legacy of Justice Sotomayor’s mother, Celina Báez, Just Shine! tells the story of a young Puerto Rican girl whose courage, kindness, and compassion changes the lives of those around her.
During a fireside chat moderated by D.C. Bar President Sadina Montani, Justice Sotomayor and Ms. Alcántara will discuss the book’s themes of resilience, empathy, and empowerment, and share insights into the creative process and values that shaped their partnership. The program will conclude with a book signing.
We invite you to be a part of this uplifting celebration of the stories and ideals that connect us all.
Date
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Program
5:30 – 6:00 p.m. Welcome reception
6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Fireside chat
7:30 – 8:00 p.m. Book signing
Location
D.C. Bar
901 4th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
About the Speakers
Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice, was born in Bronx, New York, on June 25, 1954. She earned a B.A. in 1976 from Princeton University, graduating summa cum laude and a member of Phi Beta Kappa and receiving the Pyne Prize, the highest academic honor Princeton awards to an undergraduate. In 1979, she earned a J.D. from Yale Law School where she served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal. She served as Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office from 1979–1984. She then litigated international commercial matters in New York City at Pavia & Harcourt, where she served as an associate and then partner from 1984–1992. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush nominated her to the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, and she served in that role from 1992–1998. In 1997, she was nominated by President Bill Clinton to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit where she served from 1998–2009. President Barack Obama nominated her as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on May 26, 2009, and she assumed this role August 8, 2009.
Jacqueline Alcántara is a Chicago-based freelance illustrator and artist who spends her days drawing, writing, and globe-trotting with her dog, Possum. She is particularly excited about promoting inclusiveness and diversity in children’s literature and the illustration field in general. Her debut picture book, The Field, written by Baptiste Paul, was named a Best Book of 2018 by School Library Journal, Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, and Shelf Awareness. Freedom Soup, written by Tami Charles, has been named a Kids IndieNext Pick and a Kirkus Best Book of 2019, and has received four starred reviews! You can visit her online at www.jacquelinealcantara.com.
Sadina Montani, D.C. Bar President, is an employment law partner at Crowell & Moring LLP, an international law firm with operations in the United States, Europe, MENA, and Asia, and is based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. She is a trusted adviser for employers facing complex compliance, cultural, and litigation matters. She assists corporations, think tanks, institutions of higher education, foundations, and nonprofits with employment-related issues, including sensitive investigations and litigation matters.