My Favorite Branch

Law.com had a story about the new Chief Justice. Here are some of my favorite quotes. They show both the history and oddities of my favorite branch of government.

The first day of the Court's fall term began early, with senior Justice John Paul Stevens administering a ceremonial oath to Roberts, who had been sworn in more formally last Thursday. President George W. Bush looked on from the seat in the Court reserved for -- but rarely used by -- the president.

Stevens also noted that in his previous career in the Solicitor General's Office and in private practice, Roberts had argued 39 cases before the Court, "a number that exceeds the combined experience of the rest of us. We know him well, and he has already earned our respect and admiration."

The Miers announcement overshadowed the pageantry of the Court ceremony somewhat and was the buzz among the luminaries on hand. "A stealth candidate, par excellence" was the verdict on Miers from Harvard Law School professor Laurence Tribe, who had been invited to attend by Roberts, a former student in his constitutional law class. But the formalities were in keeping with Court traditions. Before he was sworn in, Roberts sat waiting in a chair below the Court's bench. As expected, the sleeves of his black robe carried no golden stripes; Roberts has apparently allowed Rehnquist's Gilbert & Sullivan-inspired wardrobe innovation to lapse.

Roberts asked five questions in the first case and seven in the second, placing him in the "moderately active" category in comparison with his colleagues -- about the same number that Stevens asks, fewer than Antonin Scalia usually asks, but far more than Clarence Thomas. In a single day, Roberts asked lawyers more questions than Thomas has asked in several terms combined.

And that was just day one! Love it!