Remembering Justice Antonin Scalia

By Martin M. McSherry

On Saturday, news broke of the passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Scalia, appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, was the Court’s longest-serving member. An incredibly influential legal figure, his tremendous intellect and vivid writing style contributed to what some call a conservative legal renaissance.

For students at GW, the most politically active campus in the country, it’s easy to get swept up in the hugely consequential politics of Scalia’s passing. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it might even be a dereliction of our civic duty not to participate in the debate surrounding a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land. It would, however, be a shame if that didn’t occur alongside a proper reflection on Justice Scalia’s life, relationships and contributions to the legal field.

Almost a year ago to the day, Scalia appeared in GW’s own Lisner Auditorium alongside his colleague, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ideological opposites, the pair highlighted the importance of cultivating friendships with people who hold different views. "Call us the odd couple," Scalia said at the event. "She likes opera, and she's a very nice person. What's not to like? Except her views on the law."

That he said this at GW is significant. In such a politically-charged atmosphere, especially during a presidential election year, their friendship is a model we should all seek to emulate. The importance of having friends with different perspectives and opinions cannot be understated. Forming these relationships early on not only strengthens and develops one’s own views, it builds essential skills to succeed in the future. Scalia’s friendship with Ginsburg in the face of major disagreements that affected millions of lives demonstrates how one can be professional, kind and effective in a polarized environment with high stakes. Learning how to do this properly is perhaps one of the best skills one can learn at college, especially at GW.

After that event, Scalia posed for a photo with GW students Thomas Falcigno, Tony Hart and Sydney Rachael Levin-Epstein. “I'll never forget when he turned his head to us, realizing that he would probably make our day by taking a picture with us, and walked over,” Falcigno said of the encounter. “He took the time to ask us questions about our lives, what goals we're working towards, and how we plan on accomplishing our dreams,” Levin-Epstein reflected. “Justice Scalia leaves a legacy that we must refuse to ignore… [He] taught me how to work with others that I disagree with for the better of all,” she added.

GW students Thomas Falcigno, Tony Hart and Sydney Rachael Levin-Epstein pose for a picture with the late Justice Antonin Scalia last year after an on-campus event.

Scalia was the first Italian-American Supreme Court Justice in our nation’s history. He was confirmed by the Senate unanimously. Scalia forever transformed the Supreme Court’s oral arguments by becoming an active participant with his often rigorous lines of questioning for lawyers. He might be best known for writing the majority opinion in the Court’s landmark ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller, which held that the Second Amendment protects the right to posses a firearm for self-defense within the home. More recently, he wrote a stinging dissent in Obergefell v. Hodges, which granted the right to marry for same-sex couples, calling it a "threat to American democracy."

However, in spite of all of this, liberal firebrand Ruth Bader Ginsburg yesterday called Scalia her “best buddy” and a “treasured friend.”