WASHINGTON (TNND) — Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor told hundreds of lawyers Thursday that “we can’t lose the battles we are facing,” according to The New York Times.

She reportedly said at an event held by the American Bar Association in Washington, D.C. that she and the attendees have a responsibility to stand up for people who “can’t do it themselves.”

“We need trained and passionate and committed lawyers to fight this fight,” the newspaper quoted Sotomayor as saying. “For me, being here with you is an act of solidarity.”

The justice added during the event, which was an awards ceremony, that “if you’re not used to fighting, and losing battles, then don’t become a lawyer,” The New York Times reported.

Sotomayor was speaking at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, part of the Smithsonian Institution. The museum has a stated mission of helping Americans see how “global influences” shape and inform their “stories,” “histories” and “cultures.”

President Donald Trump claimed in March that the Smithsonian has “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology.” He issued an executive order that directed members of the institution's Board of Regents to remove “improper ideology” from the Smithsonian’s museums.

Sotomayor, differing from Trump in her language, said during Thursday’s event that “diversity is important for its own sake, because it inspires everyone to believe that it is possible for them to be in a position to help others,” according to The New York Times.

The president also issued an order earlier this year in which he directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek punishments against attorneys who engage in “frivolous, unreasonable, and vexatious litigation” against the government. Too many lawyers have pursued “baseless partisan attacks,” Trump said, adding in other directives that there has been “judicial overreach” as well.

The president claimed in a March 11 executive order that “activist judges,” which he says exist throughout the country, have engaged in “wrongly issues” injunctions.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson told the attendees of a judges' conference last week that Trump has been attacking the judiciary in an effort to intimidate it, according to Reuters.

"The threats and harassment are attacks on our democracy, on our system of government,” she reportedly said. “And they ultimately risk undermining our Constitution and the rule of law.”

Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.