Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia at the University of St. Thomas School of Law on October 20, 2015.

Justice Scalia Praises Catholic Law School Environment During Visit to St. Thomas

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia emphasized the importance of the Catholic law school environment during a visit to the University of St. Thomas School of Law on Oct. 20, 2015. During a private speech to students, faculty and staff at the School of Law, Scalia called religious institutions of higher education “as American as apple pie” and stressed his belief that a law school that embodies Catholic social thought has “everything to do with making [law students] better men and women” because of a belief that “the rule of law is always second to the rule of love.”

Following his remarks, the conversation became candid as Scalia went on to answer several questions from the crowd of students and faculty. In his trademark straight-forward manner, he delved into the working dynamic between the nine Supreme Court justices (“We get along—some are closer than others.”), the recent Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage (“You want this group of uncharacteristic people to decide what the Constitution should mean?”), the style in which he writes his opinions (“I’m writing dissents mainly for you guys—for law students. I know it will be in the casebooks.”) and if he has struggled with any cases (“More than a few.”), among other topics.

Scalia also spoke at a private lunch with members of the St. Thomas School of Law community, including the Honorable Patrick Schiltz, a founding faculty member and U.S. federal judge who clerked for Scalia in the 1980s.