Sotomayor on Trump-era threats: "We can't lose the battles we are facing"

• She's the latest Supreme Court justice to speak out against attacks on the legal profession and federal judiciary.

Driving the news: "If you're not used to fighting, and losing battles, then don't become a lawyer," Sotomayor said at an American Bar Association event. "Our job is to stand up for people who can't do it themselves."

• "Right now, we can't lose the battles we are facing," she added.

State of play: President Trump has retaliated against prominent law firms with executive orders, stripping security clearances and discouraging federal officials from interacting with the firms.

• He announced five deals with law firms last month, securing a combined $940 million in pro bono legal services for conservative causes.

Zoom in: "We need trained and passionate and committed lawyers to fight this fight," Sotomayor said on Thursday. "For me, being here with you is an act of solidarity."

• American Bar Association president William R. Bay in March said he rejected "efforts to undermine the courts and the profession."

Zoom out: Sotomayor has previously been outspoken about the role of courts in a challenging political climate.

• In March, she urged for "fearlessly independent" courts at a Georgetown Law event.
• "The fact that some of our public leaders are lawyers advocating or making statements challenging the rule of law tells me that fundamentally our law schools are failing," she said at the time.

Go deeper: As Big Law folds to Trump, some D.C. firms are fighting