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The confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is expected to be a week-long affair.

(Click here to watch the hearing.)

Monday

The hearing kicks off today in ceremonial fashion, with opening statements from each of the 19 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Then, Sotomayor will issue her own opening statement, and with that Day One of the hearing will conclude.

Tuesday

The line of questioning begins. This phase starts between 9 and 10 a.m. EST with questions from Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leahy will be followed by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), the committee's ranking member. Then questions will alternate between Democrats and Republicans.

Wednesday

The first round of questions resumes at the same starting time as the day before, and is expected to conclude by early afternoon on the East Coast. At this point, the committee members will convene in closed session. Then the session will break for lunch. Then, the second round of questions is scheduled to begin.

Thursday

The committee will conclude its second round of questions. Then the hearing moves to the next phase of witness testimony. Roughly two dozen witnesses have been named, with the most anticipated being that of Frank Ricci, a New Haven firefighter who will testify against her. Ricci was one of the white firefighters who sued the city for withholding their promotion because the exam they took left no black firefighters in line for a promotion. Sotomayor sat on a three-member panel of the Second Court of Appeals that upheld the city's decision. That appellate court decision was later overturned by the Supreme Court in a 5-4 vote.

Friday

If not all the witnesses are able to testify on Thursday, this phase of the hearing will continue on Friday.