Speaking with a Supreme Court Justice

-The podium where Justice Alito stood to speak to us.

-Public Law Class 2011- Me standing right next to him!

This week we had the honor of meeting Supreme Court Justice Alito. It was an event that I will definitely remember for the rest of my life.

I was so lucky because I was able to sit in the first row right in front of Justice Alito. When he walked in, we were instructed to remain standing until he sat down and that we could not take pictures while he spoke. The security guards took these instructions very seriously because we were told more than once how to act in his presence. They really ensure that these judges receive the highest level of respect.

I was surprised how down to earth Justice Alito was. This man is an extremely intelligent person who graduated from Yale Law School and was the editor of Yale’s Law Review Journal. Even though he is intelligently superior to most and holds a prestigious job, he was truly interested in our questions and about teaching us about the justice system. He told us about the cases the Supreme Court has heard in the past few weeks. Many of them we have heard about in the news or have studied in class. It was a unique opportunity to be in his presence while such important decisions are being made. He even spoke to us about the recent case involving the Westboro Baptist Church and their right to picket soldiers’ funerals. In this case, he was the only Justice to dissent. He stated that a funeral is fragile time of mourning and that while he believes in the right of free speech, it is not the right time or place to protest. It has been said that he relies on his emotions for some of his decisions. I believe this is a case where he took this into consideration when he decided to dissent.

The question I asked him was how he deals with pressure from his family, friends, and those that surround him when his opinions vary from theirs’ on certain cases. I was wondering how he separates his personal life from his job as a Supreme Court Justice. He stated that there are many safeguards that protect his job even when he makes controversial decisions. There are times when his opinions vary from those around him, but he feels it is his job to uphold the law no matter the circumstances. He stated that it is difficult at times, but essentially it’s his job and he has to do it as best as he can. I was honored to have this experience of speaking to him. Nowhere else would I get the opportunity to be in the same room as a Supreme Court Justice, not alone be able to speak to him. This was truly the best experience I could have asked for here in Washington, D.C. and reaffirms by beliefs on how great the Washington Semester Program has been. I am going to be very sad when I have to leave.