I worked for Justice Alito. What I saw up close shatters the media smear

Critics of Supreme Court justices often edifice to unfair caricatures of those justices that, the critics hope, volition make clicks and likes. If you happened to spot a caller deed portion connected Justice Alito, for example, you would work that helium is "unhappy," "aggrieved," and "wronged." And he, similar the others, is expected to endure these attacks successful silence. For, if the justices talk up, their critics past castigate them arsenic thin-skinned and—conveniently—unhappy, aggrieved, and wronged.

This vicious crippled is thing new—but, erstwhile it comes to Justice Alito, it is idiosyncratic for me.

I was calved successful Louisiana and grew up successful the South, wherever I attended Baylor University for undergrad and Louisiana State University for instrumentality school. Today, I service arsenic the Solicitor General of Louisiana, which requires maine to reason earlier the Supreme Court. That is the acquisition of a lifetime—an acquisition sometimes described arsenic a Super Bowl for lawyers, or, arsenic 1 Yelp reappraisal of the Supreme Court gathering enactment it, Washington’s mentation of a gladiator match.

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History and statistic would accidental that my communicative is unlikely. I did not turn up among East Coast and West Coast elites. I bash not clasp an Ivy League degree. And my unpronounceable past sanction is not famous. Yet present I am—by God’s grace and due to the fact that of an service of radical (including my existent boss, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill) who person believed successful me.

Some jurists are reputed to beryllium harsh taskmasters. Not Justice Alito. Not lone did helium lighten our loads astatine each costs, but helium besides ne'er raised his dependable oregon directed displeasure toward us.

Justice Alito is 1 of those people. When I mailed a clerkship exertion astir a decennary ago, I was nether nary illusions astir winning the contention against hundreds of different applications from apical attorneys for 1 of 4 positions with the Justice. And erstwhile I interviewed, I was definite I had torpedoed my chances: When I arrived, I declined java erstwhile the Justice’s adjunct offered it (I could not hazard spilling it connected my achromatic shirt)—but erstwhile I went into the Justice’s bureau and helium offered coffee, I panicked and accepted (it would beryllium rude to accidental no), lone for him to inquire the aforesaid adjunct to bring maine coffee. My look was agleam reddish arsenic she handed maine a cup. Yet they some seemingly forgave me, and they became beloved friends aft I began my clerkship.

The clerkship with Justice Alito was surreal successful galore expected ways. For example, the Justice is incredibly smart. That is readily evident from immoderate sentiment helium writes oregon oral statement successful which helium grills counsel. So, too, down the scenes: On much than 1 occasion, email chatter from him would spell quiet, and past a flood of perfectly cited draught opinions would travel streaming in. He did not request us.

United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito connected October 7, 2022 successful Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

But unexpected were the myriad examples of Justice Alito’s decent quality that we witnessed. Take this example: A instrumentality clerk works agelong hours performing ineligible research, drafting memos, and completing different indispensable tasks. The "Alitos" during my twelvemonth were nary exception. But the Justice is notoriously delicate to imposing connected his instrumentality clerks. He refused to email america connected weekends if helium could assistance it. And immoderate clip helium wanted america to implicit immoderate research, helium would inquire successful a sheepish, astir apologetic, tone. My co-clerks and I would laugh: Why was helium disquieted astir asking clerks to bash the precise things that clerks do? That is his decency.

Obsessive depictions of Justice Alito arsenic "aggrieved" and "unhappy" successful the media are idiosyncratic to me.

Some jurists are reputed to beryllium harsh taskmasters. Not Justice Alito. Not lone did helium lighten our loads astatine each costs, but helium besides ne'er raised his dependable oregon directed displeasure toward us. That is not due to the fact that we were perfect—one clip I had to apologize for turning successful a memo a time late, but helium did not bat an eye. To the contrary, the Justice took each accidental helium could to promote us. I retrieve 1 peculiarly agelong memo conflict that we fought and won. He could person walked disconnected with the victory. But instead, helium took clip to springiness maine a thoughtful convey you enactment for my assistance.

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One of the memorable parts of immoderate clerkship is the accidental to devour luncheon with your justice oregon justness and sermon thing but work. Some jurists similar a fancy luncheon retired connected the town. Not Justice Alito. My fondest memories are those lunches we had astir a chambers table—the clerks with container lunches oregon possibly a to-go sheet from the cafeteria, and the Justice with a vessel of Campbell’s crockery that helium had conscionable warmed successful a microwave. The Justice is famously introverted, and so, it was not uncommon for the clerks to tally distant with the speech arsenic the Justice’s spoon clinked against his vessel of soup. The Justice was not disengaged; helium was waiting for the close infinitesimal to onslaught with the driest wit known to Washington. He did not request to walk precious clip with america astatine lunch—he had much important things to do. And yet helium sacrificed anyway.

Members of the Supreme Court beryllium for a radical photograph aft the summation of Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, astatine the Supreme Court gathering connected Capitol Hill connected Friday, Oct 7, 2022 successful Washington, D.C. Bottom row, from left, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, Associate Justice Samuel Alito, and Associate Justice Elena Kagan. Top row, from left, Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.  (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Before statement 1 day, my household had a accidental to halt by chambers and conscionable the Justice. I was excited to present the Justice. But, erstwhile they came in, helium was beaming similar a caller begetter showing disconnected a newborn: He told my household each astir my enactment and however grateful helium was to person maine successful chambers. Of course, arsenic noted earlier, helium could bash his occupation conscionable arsenic good (probably better) without clerks. But helium made me—and them—feel similar a cardinal bucks by expressing his sincere appreciation. In that moment, I remembered however improbable my communicative was. And astir a decennary later, I often bespeak connected that infinitesimal and the immense gratitude that I volition ever explicit to the Justice who dramatically impacted my life.

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All this is wherefore obsessive depictions of Justice Alito arsenic "aggrieved" and "unhappy" successful the media are idiosyncratic to me. He is thing similar the caricature erected by those pining for clicks and likes astatine his expense. And it is simply a disservice to the Justice and to the Supreme Court arsenic an instauration to perpetuate a mendacious "aggrievement" communicative that, astatine this point, is exhausted from being copied and pasted excessively galore times.

The Justice Alito I cognize is kind, humble, thoughtful, and selfless. I cognize due to the fact that helium believed successful me—and I americium a amended antheral due to the fact that of his example.