FACTBOX: U.S. court nominee Sotomayor's quotes on legal issues

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama's pick for the U.S. Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor, was grilled by a Senate committee on Tuesday as she aims for confirmation as the first Hispanic justice on the top U.S. court.

Here are some of Sotomayor's quotes on key issues:

HER LEGAL PHILOSOPHY

"The process of judging is a process of keeping an open mind. Its a process of not coming to a decision with a prejudgment..."

"Reaching a conclusion has to start with what the parties are arguing, but examining in all situations carefully the facts as they prove them or not prove them, the record as they create it, and then making a decision that is limited to what the law says on the facts before the judge."

"I believe my record of 17 years demonstrates fully that I do believe that judges must apply the law and not make the law."

THE NEW HAVEN FIREFIGHTER CASE

(Sotomayor sat on an appeals court that upheld the right of a city to discard firefighter test results which did not produce enough minority candidates):

"The issue was not what we would do or not do, because we were following precedent."

"Given Second Circuit precedent...the panel concluded that the city's decision in that particular situation was lawful under established law. The Supreme Court, in looking and reviewing that case, applied a new standard and announced that it was applying a standard from a different area of law and explaining to employers and courts below how to look at this question in the future."

"WISE LATINA" COMMENTS

(She has said a "wise Latina" might arrive at a better legal decision than a white man):

"No words I have ever spoken or written have received so much attention. I gave a variant of my speech to a variety of different groups, most often to groups of women lawyers or to groups most particularly of young Latino lawyers or students."

"I was trying to inspire them to believe that their life experiences would enrich the legal system, because different life experiences and backgrounds always do."

"I want to state upfront, unequivocally and without doubt: I do not believe that any ethnic, racial or gender group has an advantage in sound judgment."

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION TO ADDRESS HISTORIC RACIAL INEQUALITIES

"The Constitution promotes and requires the equal protection of law of all citizens in its 14th Amendment. To ensure that protection, there are situations in which race in some form must be considered. The courts have recognized that. Equality requires effort."

"It is firmly my hope....that in 25 years race in our society won't be needed to be considered in any situation. That's the hope."

BUSINESS ATTITUDE

"I can't speak to why someone else would view my record as suggesting a pro- or anti-approach to any series of cases...my structure of approach is the same: what does the law require."

"All I can say is that with business and the interest of any party before me, I will consider and apply the law as it is written by Congress and informed by precedent."

SUPREME COURT HANDLING OF BUSH v. GORE 2000 PRESIDENTIAL

ELECTION CASE

"I look at the case and my reaction as a sitting judge is not to criticize or to challenge it even if I were disposed that way because I don't take a position on that. The court took and made the decision it did."

"Some good came from that discussion. There's been, and was, enormous electoral process changes in many states as a result of the flaws that were reflected in the process."

"That is a tribute to the greatness of our American system. Whether you agree or disagree with a Supreme Court decision, all of the (government) branches become involved in the conversation on how to improve things."

ROE v. WADE ABORTION CASE MAKING ABORTION LEGAL

"That is the precedent of the court, so it is settled law."

"There is a right of privacy. The court has found it in various places in the Constitution, has recognized rights under those various provisions of the Constitution."

WHETHER TO INTRODUCE CAMERAS IN THE SUPREME COURT

"I have had positive experiences with cameras. When I have been asked to join experiments using cameras in the courtroom I have participated, I have volunteered."

TERM LIMITS FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICES

"That first step, decision, would be Congress's. I could only note that there was a purpose to the structure of our Constitution, and it was a view by the founding fathers that they wanted justices who would not be subject to political whim or to the emotions of the moment."

"I do think there is a value in the services of judges for long periods of time."

(Reporting by Andrew Quinn; editing by David Storey)