a supreme experience that had nothing to do with pizza

The Supreme Court was in session at 10:00 AM today - the final day before the summer recess. Notably, they reversed the Ricci v DeStefano decision by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and bade farewell to Justice David Souter.

I arrived at the steps of the Court at 7:45 ready to wait. I had a newspaper, an apple and all the patience I could possibly muster. After hours of waiting, two security checkpoints, and an awkward belt incident, I was finally seated in the courtroom. At the front there were four pillars, nine chairs, and an old clock hanging like the sword of Damocles over the center. Just sitting there, I could feel the incredible importance of that room. It was completely full on this historic day. The clock hit 10:00, a subtle buzzer sounded, we eagerly rose to our feet and the Justices appeared. They emerged from behind deep red curtains to sit in their high-backed chairs. There they were.

Chief Justice Roberts, Associate Justices Scalia, Kennedy, Souter, Thomas, Ginsberg, Breyer and Alito. They were all sitting right in front of me, and I could hardly believe it. Maybe its the feeling most people get when they see a celebrity. I'm not sure. What I do know is that after reading about these nine jurists, studying their biographies, delving into their decisions, pondering their judicial philosophies, I was totally starstruck. It was surprisingly impactful to see them in person.

They read two decisions to the public and one farewell letter to their friend. Justice David Souter read a reply. When they had finished their business for the day they departed hurriedly - except for Souter. He did not rush. He lingered. Then, after all the other Justices had left the room, he looked around a bit, and slowly walked away from the bench.