Inside the Supreme Court

Brian Lamb’s interview with retiring U. S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens offered a mini education. It showed his three big offices, one for himself, one for his secretary and assistant secretary, and one for law clerks. Of course, each suite of offices must have a restroom just for the Justice, and somewhere in the building must be a kitchen and a dining room. His office also had a sofa on which he could stretch out if he needed to. However, this 90-year-old Justice looked to be in the pink of health, possibly passing for only 70 years of age. He plays tennis two or three times a week, and when in Florida, two weeks out of every month, he swims every day. He also does his work while in Florida, via his computer.

We saw the conference room where the justices gather to discuss the cases they hear. They speak in order of seniority after the Chief Justice speaks first. Currently Justice Stevens is second. I suppose the discussions open with each one reading their legal opinions of the case pending. It would be interesting to know if any of them change their minds while listening to the others.

Justice Stevens’s desk had plenty of items on it, rather like pamphlets or books, with his computer to the side, but it looked neat, with no loose white paper showing. Mine is more like Einstein’s, in the paper department, but he had no computer.

I’ve always thought an empty desktop meant an empty brain. Justice Stevens's brain isn't empty, even if many disagree with its output.

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