I Am Deeply Honored To Have Been

My Parents Grew Up In Poor Families Where Little English Was Spoken, They Both Went To College And Became Teachers. They Believed That Anything Was Possible With Hard Work, And They Particularly Stressed The Importance Of Education. They Instilled That Same Belief In My Sister And Me.

When I Had My Confirmation Hearing For The Court Of Appeals, [my Son] Philip Was 3 Years Old. And When I Was Called Up To The Chair He Took It Upon Himself To Run Up And Sit Next To Me In Case Any Hard Questions Came Up.

I Had The Good Fortune To Begin My Legal Career As A Law Clerk For A Judge Who Really Epitomized Open-mindedness And Fairness. He Read The Record In Detail In Every Single Case That Came Before Me; He Insisted On Scrupulously Following Precedents.

In Southern Italy, Where My Grandparents Had Lived, There Were Few Opportunities. The Society Was Static, With Rigid Social Classes. Poor People, Like My Grandparents, Had Little Chance To Improve Their Lives, No Matter Their Talents Or Willingness To Work.

I Am Particularly Proud Of My Contributions In Recent Cases In Which The Government Has Argued In The Supreme Court That Racial And Ethnic Quotas Should Not Be Allowed And That The Constitution Does Not Protect A Right To An Abortion.