Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a public apology to Justice Brett Kavanaugh after criticizing him in personal terms during a speech at the University of Kansas School of Law.

"I made remarks that were inappropriate," Sotomayor said in a statement April 15. "I regret my hurtful comments. I have apologized to my colleague."

The dispute grew out of an immigration case involving police stops – an issue with particular resonance for Latino and working-class communities. Sotomayor suggested Kavanaugh was out of touch with those realities, saying he "probably doesn't really know any person who works by the hour or the piece like I do."

The episode drew notice for turning a legal disagreement into something more personal.

Sotomayor was right to apologize. What's more surprising is that she felt compelled to.

In today's political climate, personal attacks are routine. Members of Congress trade insults daily, and the president routinely sets the tone on social media. Against that backdrop, the Supreme Court operates by a different........

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