The few days have been fun.
On Thursday, I attended a double investiture at the Supreme Court of Texas for the two newest members. Justice James P. Sullivan was sworn in by (Retired) Judge Tom Griffith. Judge Griffith gave a fascinating discussion on the value of the oath. We should all focus on the meaning of “help” in “So help me God.” We are wiser for his insights.
Justice Kyle Hawkins was sworn in by Justice Samuel A. Alito. The Justice relayed a funny story from Kyle’s term. Justice Alito circulated an opinion in a non-controversial case that he thought would quickly garner nine joins. No such luck. Justice Alito received a number of letters asking to remove this part, add that part, and rewrite another part. The task fell to Kyle to help manage the revisions, and ultimately, the opinion satisfied everyone. (No he did not mention which case it was, but I would love to know.)
Investitures for the Texas Supreme Court are held in the chamber of the Texas House of Representatives. Every seat was filled. There were also tributes given to Chief Justice Nathan Hecht and Justice Jeff Boyd, who recently retired from the court.
Dare I say that the Texas Supreme Court is the greatest state supreme court in the nation? The intellectual firepower of that Court is staggering. I can’t wait to see what Justices Sullivan and Hawkins bring for years to come.
After a brief stay in Austin, I flew to Chicago O’Hare and drove to Milwaukee to attend the investiture of Judge Rebecca Taibleson to the Seventh Circuit. Over the years, I have written about my close bond with Professor Michael Krauss at George Mason University. Professor Krauss gave remarks about his daughter that brought everyone to tears. Justice Kavanaugh also spoke about his former law clerk. He remembers the exact moment he met Judge Taibleson in the hallway at Yale Law School. She made that much of an impact on him. This was a ceremony with so much warmth and joy–it was especially cathartic after the unnecessarily difficult confirmation process. But, as one commenter observed, this was a rare instance where the meritocracy prevailed. And Judge Taibleson will make everyone proud.
I am proud to say that three of my former students clerking for these three jurists next term.
The week was even funner. On Wednesday, I attended a legal retreated at my new think tank, the Manhattan Institute, followed by the Hamilton Dinner at Cipriani. Senator Ben Sasse was the honoree of the night. What an inspiration he is.
And on Monday and Tuesday, I attended the Fifth Circuit Judicial Conference, which, blessedly was in Houston. If you want to figure out how I was in so many places at once, the answer is several early-morning flights.
Somehow, amidst all of those travels, I wrote what may be my most popular blog post of all time. It has been the talk of the town. I’ve lost count of the number of phone calls, texts, and emails I’ve received thanking me for saying what needed to be said. You are all welcome for that public service. Maybe I should give a TED Talk about the experience of writing a viral post without AI.
