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It was clear on the morning of the first day of the Supreme Court's latest term that new Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a former prosecutor, was not going to fade into the background just because she's a rookie.

According to the Los Angeles Times, in the first hour of oral arguments Monday, Sotomayor asked 36 questions, tops among her colleagues; Justices John Roberts, Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg also did a fair amount of talking, while the other judges remained relatively quiet.

There are a range of styles on the court: Among the less talkative Justices are Clarence Thomas, who has reportedly not asked a question in three years, and John Paul Stevens, who is prone to make sure one of his colleagues isn't planning to speak before he offers a polite "may I ask you."

Somewhere in the middle is Justice Stephen Breyer, who, USA Today reports, often tries to interject but "is often beaten" by his colleagues. Writes the newspaper: "He is apt to lean back in his black leather chair in frustration."

Sotomayor has been talkative but polite on the court thus far, interjecting with questions like "Could I have a clarification of the facts?" At one point, fearing that she might have interrupted Breyer, she apologized "if I cut you off."

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UPDATED 5:02 p.m. ET

New Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor took her seat on the nation's highest court Tuesday in a courtroom ceremony attended by President Obama, Vice President Biden and her new colleagues on the bench.

Chief Justice John Roberts administered Sotomayor the oath of office at the event, known as an investiture – the traditional ceremonial welcoming of a new justice. The oath of office was essentially for show, however, as Sotomayor was sworn in back on August 8th.

After receiving the oath, Sotomayor took her seat at the end of the bench, according to seniority.

"We wish you a long and happy career on our common calling," Roberts told the new justice, who wore a white blouse under her judicial robe.

The justices begin work tomorrow, and Sotomayor's first case is a doozy: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a case that could result in overturning laws against direct corporate campaign contributions. (Many companies currently indirectly donate to candidates via Political Action Committees funded in part by employees.) The case grew out of a lawsuit involving an anti-Hillary Clinton movie from the period of the 2008 campaign. (Read more.)

Sotomayor was also joined by her mother (pictured at left with the justice), her brother John, entertainer Ricky Martin, Attorney General Eric Holder, members of Congress, judges and others at the ceremony, according to the Associated Press. Also present was the justice Sotomayor is replacing, David Souter.

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President Obama hosted a reception in the East Room of the White House this morning to, in his words, "celebrate an extraordinary moment for our nation": The confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor as a Supreme Court justice.

"We celebrate the greatness of a country in which such a story is possible," the president said. "And we celebrate how, with their overwhelming vote to confirm Justice Sotomayor, the United States Senate, Republicans and Democrats, tore down yet one more barrier and affirmed our belief that in America the doors of opportunity must be open to all."

Sotomayor, surrounded by her family, First Lady Michelle Obama, Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and John Paul Stevens, members of Congress and others, said "no words cannot adequately express what I am feeling."

"No speech can fully capture my joy in this moment," she said. "Nothing can convey the depth of gratitude I feel to the countless family members, starting with Mom and my brother, and the many friends and colleagues, so many of you who are here with me today, and the others who aren't, who have helped me to reach this moment."

She went on to say she is "most grateful to this country" for giving her the opportunity to become a Supreme Court justice.

"It is this nation's faith in a more perfect union that allows a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx to stand here now," Sotomayor said, earning a standing ovation.

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In the morning, President Obama will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing in the Oval Office. Then, Mr. Obama and the first lady will host a reception for new Supreme Justice Sonia Sotomayor in the East Room.

The president will then receive his Economic Daily Briefing and meet with senior advisers.

In the afternoon, the president and the first lady will host the Medal of Freedom ceremony at the White House.

Here is the full schedule from the White House (all times Eastern):

9:30AM: President Obama receives the Presidential Daily Briefing

10:15AM: President Obama and Michelle Obama host reception honoring Justice Sonia Sotomayor

11:00AM: President Obama receives the Economic Daily Briefing

11:30AM: President Obama meets with senior advisers

3:10PM: President Obama and Michelle Obama host the Medal of Freedom ceremony

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Politics Today is CBSNews.com's inside look at the key stories driving the day in Politics, written by CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:

** The unemployment rate declines for the first time in 15 months…

**As Senate heads to recess, voters are having their say on health care...

**President Obama does his part to help Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds...

UNEMPLOYMENT: "U.S. employers throttled back on layoffs in July, cutting just 247,000 jobs, the fewest in a year, and the unemployment rate dipped to 9.4 percent, its first decline in 15 months," reports the Associated Press' Jeannine Aversa.

"It was a better-than-expected showing that offered a strong signal that the country's recession is finally ending.

"The new snapshot, released by the Labor Department on Friday, also offered other encouraging news: workers' hours nudged up after sinking to a record low in June, and paychecks grew after having fallen or flat lined in some cases.

"To be sure, the report still indicates that the jobs market is on shaky ground. But the new figures were better than many analysts were expecting and offered welcomed improvements to a part of the economy that has been clobbered by the recession.

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In his speech following the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, President Obama commended the Senate for acting in a "timely manner."

"I want to thank the Senate Judiciary Committee, particularly its Chairman, Senator Leahy -- as well as its Ranking Member, Senator Sessions -- for giving Judge Sotomayor a thorough and civil hearing. And I thank them for doing so in a timely manner so that she can be fully prepared to take her seat when the Court’s work begins this September," Mr. Obama said.

According to CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller, that it has been two months and eleven days since Mr. Obama nominated Sotomayor. CBS News White House produer Robert Hendin points out that this means Sotomayor's waiting period was identical to that of Chief Justice John Roberts, with both confirmations taking 72 days from nomination to floor vote.

Both Sotomayor's and Roberts' appointments took less than the 81 day average for recent nominees.

In a brief statement following the Senate vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama said he is "pleased and deeply gratified" that his nominee had become the nation's 111th Supreme Court justice.

"Like so many other aspects of this nation, I'm filled with pride in this achievement and great confidence that Judge Sotomayor will make an outstanding Supreme Court justice," he said. "This is a wonderful day for Judge Sotomayor and her family, but I also think it's a wonderful day for America."

Following his comments, President Obama told CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller he is "very happy" with the vote total for Sotomayor, who was confirmed 68 votes to 31.

The president thanked the Senate Judiciary Committee for giving Sotomayor "a thorough and civil hearing," and for doing so in a "timely manner" that will allow her to be in her seat for the court's opening in September.

He said "the Senate has affirmed that Judge Sotomayor has the intellect, the temperament, the history, the integrity, and the independence of mind to ably serve on our nation's highest court."

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Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed as the 111th Supreme Court Justice this afternoon by the Senate. Sixty-eight senators supported Sotomayor's confirmation and 31 opposed it.

Fifty-seven of the 58 Democrats in the Senate backed Sotomayor; the exception was Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, who is battling a brain tumor and did not vote.

The two Senate independents who caucus with the Democrats, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, also voted for confirmation.

They were joined by nine Republicans: Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Sen. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Sen. Christopher Bond (Mo.), Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), Sen. Olympia Snowe (Maine), Sen. Richard Lugar (Ind.), Sen. Mel Martinez (Fla.), Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H.) and Sen. George Voinovich (Ohio).

Read more:

Senate Confirms Sotomayor to Supreme Court

Sotomayor Confirmation an "Easy One" for White House

Obama "Filled With Pride" Over Sotomayor

Politics Today is CBSNews.com's inside look at the key stories driving the day in Politics, written by CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:

**President Obama's approval numbers down in new poll...

**As rhetoric heats up, health care inches along in Congress...

**Sotomayor expected to be confirmed today...

**Mr. Obama heads to Virginia to help gubernatorial candidate Deeds...


PRESIDENT OBAMA TODAY: A new Quinnipiac Poll out this morning has bad news for the president: his approval rating is down to 50 percent, thanks to Americans' worries about the economy and his handling of health care reform.

"After 199 days in office, President Barack Obama has a 50 – 42 percent job approval rating from American voters, down from 57 – 33 percent July 2 to its lowest level since Inauguration Day," the press release from Quinnipiac reads. "Voters disapprove 49 – 45 percent of the way the President is handling the economy and disapprove 52 – 39 percent of the way he is handling health care, but approve 52 – 38 percent of the way he is handling foreign policy.

"Independent voters split 45 – 45 percent in their overall approval of President Obama, down from 52 – 37 percent in a July 2 poll."

The poll was taken during the controversy over the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates.

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Politics Today is CBSNews.com's inside look at the key stories driving the day in politics, written by CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris:

**Bill Clinton returns with freed journalists...

**President Obama focuses on the economy today...

**'Cash for Clunkers' to live - for now...

**Health care latest...

**Sotomayor debate continues in Senate...

BILL CLINTON & N. KOREA: The Comeback Kid is back.

Former President Bill Clinton is back from North Korea with the two freed U.S. journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling. And he's back on the national stage, returning there not because of his wife or some controversy he's been involved with, but because of his diplomacy skills.

"Mr. Clinton's mission to Pyongyang was the most visible by an American in nearly a decade," write the New York Times' Mark Landler and Peter Baker. "It came at a time when the United States' relationship with North Korea had become especially chilled, after North Korea's test of its second nuclear device in May and a series of missile launchings.

"It ended a harrowing ordeal for the two women, who were stopped on March 17 by soldiers near North Korea's border with China while researching a report about women and human trafficking. They faced years of imprisonment in the gulaglike confines of a North Korean prison camp.

"And it catapulted Mr. Clinton back on to the global stage, on behalf of a president who defeated his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, in a bitter primary campaign last year, and who later asked her to be his secretary of state."

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