A Sherpa’s View: Surviving the Congressional Hearings

As Judge Sonia Sotomayor takes the stand at the confirmation hearings this week, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes prepping. A “Sherpa”–named after local mountain guides who take foreign explorers up the Himalayas — helps to guide Supreme Court nominees to the summit of gaining Senate confirmation. Joining The Takeaway is Jamie Brown, the Sherpa behind the confirmation of the last two successful Supreme Court nominations, Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts. She was also formerly a legislative affairs aid for the White House under President George W. Bush.