Public event #3 for Justice Alito was a lunch with faculty and some leading lawyers around the state, followed by a “fireside chat” with Dean Cass, and finally a VIP reception at the beautiful home of RWU President Dr. Donald Farish. As was the case with the morning events, the Justice was insightful, candid, and very approachable. I will leave to our PR folks to summarize the Q&As so that I can add some of the highlights from my end:
- The Justice hanging out in my office between events, casually discussing the latest edition of Caro’s multi-volume biography of LBJ with RI Chief Justice Paul Suttell and Associate Justice Frank Flaherty
- Justice Alito chatting with Superior Court Judge Judy Savage about their mutual respect for 3d Circuit Judge Ruggero Aldisert (Judge Savage was his law clerk; the Justice sat with him on the 3d Circuit)
- A visit from alum Maureen Wagner (‘10), who knows the Justice from her work with the Federalist Society
- The head of our Law Library, Assistant Dean Raquel Ortiz, swapping stories with Martha-Ann Alito, also a law librarian
- An audience filled with a who’s who of the bench and bar, including alum Peter Kilmartin (‘98), RI Attorney General
- The Justice discussing law school with some lucky 1Ls who were savvy enough to hang around after the Fireside Chat
- Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Dennis Curran (a member of our Board of Advisors), with his clerk Lesley Jackson (’14), chatting with the Justice
- Dinners with Judge Bruce Selya, CJ Suttell, and leading lawyers Connie Howes, Kelly Sheridan, and Suzi Cass, regaling the Justice with stories about this wacky little state.
All-in-all, an amazing opportunity for the RWU Law family.
