Constitutional Law Class Enjoys Surprise Guest Lecturer

March 14, 2012 — Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas visited the University of Virginia School of Law on Monday to speak to a class and to meet informally with a number of law students and faculty members.

During professor Saikrishna Prakash's "Constitutional Law" class, Thomas described how the Supreme Court operates and then answered a wide range of questions from first-year law students. Later, Thomas ate lunch with law students and faculty, and then met with small groups of students and faculty members throughout the afternoon.

"Justice Thomas' gracious willingness to teach a session of Constitutional Law and talk with groups of students and faculty for the remainder of the day gave our community a unique opportunity to learn more about how the Supreme Court functions," said Paul Mahoney, dean of the Law School. "Perhaps the most enduring lesson of the day is the deep reverence and respect the justices feel for the institution they serve."

Second-year law student Eve Aguilar said she was honored to have the opportunity to meet Thomas.

"As a Supreme Court justice, he is one of the most brilliant legal minds in the country," she said. "However, I was surprised by how personable and down-to-earth Justice Thomas was. He told a couple of jokes that made everyone in the room laugh, and he made a point to make a personal connection with each student he met."

– by Brian McNeill