The Senate Judiciary Committee held its fourth day of hearings on the appointment of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court seat vacated by the retirement of Justice David Souter. Legal scholars called by both the majority and minority members testified about their impressions of Judge Sotomayor, her record, and their views of her qualifications for a place on the Supreme Court. Among the topics addressed were methods of peer review for Suprem Court nominees, Judge Sotomayor's leagal ideology and her accomplishments as a student and jurist, her views and treatment of criminal defendants, and the appropriate use or reference to foreign law in Supreme Court decisions. Further panels testified about the nomination on subsequent parts.