Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor has begun meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill ahead of her confirmation hearings expected next month. The meetings followed days of attacks from Republicans, who have cited a 2001 speech in which she asserted that, as a Latina woman, she would offer wiser judgments than a white male judge in some cases. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called the meetings “productive.”

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs: “Let’s take a couple of points. I think, first of all, obviously, we believe that she will get a fair shake and a fair set of hearings. I think the meetings that she’s had thus far have been productive.”

Senate Judiciary Chair Patrick Leahy says he’ll push for a vote to begin Judge Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings next month.