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U.S. Supreme Court Alito sidesteps question about collegiality during remote appearance at law school

By Debra Cassens Weiss

May 13, 2022, 9:32 am CDT

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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, author of the leaked draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, managed to evade a question about Supreme Court collegiality during a remote law school appearance Thursday.

The Washington Post has the story about Alito’s remote appearance at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School.

In his first public address since the leaked opinion on abortion, Alito spoke about textualism and criticized a decision holding that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects gay and transgender workers.

But Alito avoided “the usual boilerplate” about collegiality when answering a final audience question, according to the Washington Post. The questioner wanted to know whether Alito and other justices were able to have a nice meal together.

“I think it would just be really helpful,” the questioner said, “for all of us to hear, personally, are you all doing OK in these very challenging times?”

Alito replied that he told himself that he wasn’t going to discuss the subject “given all the circumstances.”

Then Alito paused and added, “The court right now, we had our conference this morning, we’re doing our work. We’re taking new cases, we’re headed toward the end of the term, which is always a frenetic time as we get our opinions out.”

See also:

ABAJournal.com: “Could SCOTUS leaker be charged with crime? Espionage Act wouldn’t apply, but other laws might”

ABAJournal.com: “Is Alito right about the ‘unbroken tradition of prohibiting abortion’? Scholars disagree on the history”

ABAJournal.com: “Legal experts fear loss of abortion right could usher in end of same-sex marriage, other rights”

ABAJournal.com: “What is the potential impact of the abortion case before the Supreme Court?”

ABAJournal.com: “Rare but not unprecedented Supreme Court leak considered ‘staggering’”

ABAJournal.com: “Alito’s leaked draft opinion shows Supreme Court is likely to strike down Roe v. Wade”

ABAJournal.com: “What does the original Roe v. Wade really say?”

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