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Testimonials
It was my honor and privilege to work closely with the Chief Justice for the past two decades on a variety of matters involving the federal Judiciary. He entrusted me with substantial responsibility and I felt a deep sense of mission to live up to and justify his confidence. In addition to his Supreme Court duties, Chief Justice Rehnquist led the Judicial Branch and its policy-making body, the Judicial Conference of the United States. Shortly after taking office, the Chief Justice appointed a committee to study the operation of the Conference and its committees. The changes that were subsequently instituted have dramatically improved the operation of the Conference and opened the door for hundreds of new judges to participate in Conference committee work. When Chief Justice Rehnquist believed his voice would make a difference, he was not hesitant to speak out. When the federal courts faced fiscal crises, he called upon Congress for adequate funding. He has long advocated improved relations and communications between the legislative and judicial branches, themes that are highly relevant today. He has decried the federalization of state crimes and called for prompt Senate action on judicial nominees–no matter which political party is in the majority. He was a devoted family man of great personal faith, two qualities which I especially admired in him. The federal Judiciary will miss his steady hand, principled leadership, impeccable integrity, sense of humor, and more. Our heart-felt sympathy is extended to the family of Chief Justice Rehnquist. There is much of which they should be proud.
For 19 years, Chief Justice William Rehnquist guided the Federal Judicial Center in his statutory role as Chair of the Center's governing Board. He brought the same wisdom, collegiality, and leadership that he demonstrated on the bench to his stewardship of the Center. He conducted meetings with good humor and grace, while encouraging candid analysis and discussion among the members of the Board. He asked probing questions of Center staff to ensure valuable, cost-effective, and timely educational programming and research for the judicial branch. He was a strong advocate for an independent education and research agency for the Judiciary and worked hard to assure the Center was provided sufficient resources to perform its mission. In every respect, the Chief was a friend of the Center, and a friend to those of us who had the privilege to work with him. We are saddened by the passing of Chief Justice Rehnquist and extend our deepest sympathy to his family.
. . . The Nation got a glimpse of the Chief's educational talents through his marvelous books on American history, books that made him History Teacher-in-Chief. The Chief Justice's law clerks were fortunate to receive his many lessons first-hand. The lessons came in different forms. Many we learned simply by observation. ...The ability to work quickly and efficiently was something he valued, and he tried to teach it to each of us, often by imposing artificial (and usually tight) deadlines for our work that no other Chambers labored under. As he told me on more than one occasion, anyone can write well if given enough time. What a good lawyer must be able to do is to write clearly and effectively with little or no time at all. He also expected us to be able to think on our feet. Therefore, while other law clerks were busily preparing bench memos, the Chief's clerks were bracing themselves for an oral briefing with the Chief. One day, without any notice, he would bound into our office, name a case, and whisk the responsible clerk off for a brisk walk down the front steps of the Court and across the Capitol grounds. During those walks, the Chief expected us to discuss the parties' positions, lower court opinions and past case law, as well as parry his insightful questions, without notes or props and all the while dodging bemused tourists and traffic. These lessons and others proved invaluable in my private practice and still come in handy in my current job.... Most important of all, the Chief taught each of his clerks, by example, the importance of balance in their lives.... The Chief's law clerks daily saw a man at the very pinnacle of his profession who nonetheless always kept his job and himself in perspective—a man who was a loving husband; a doting father and grandfather; a great wit (who could also take a joke at his own expense); a player of games of all kinds from charades to poker, tennis and croquet; and a lover of knowledge with a vast range of intellectual interests, from music and poetry, to religion, politics, history, geography, and even the weather. Above all else, Chief Justice Rehnquist was a decent, gentle and honorable man who lacked even a hint of pretense. That was apparent to all who had the great good fortune to know him. I am certain that he hoped that the values and talents he embodied would somehow rub off on each of his law clerks. Our year with the Chief was an education like none we'd had before—or likely would again.
During the October 1981 term, then-Justice Rehnquist suffered from serious back problems and was homebound for several weeks. I had been assigned to work on a rather important case concerning delegation of Article III powers. Justice Rehnquist asked, somewhat apologetically, if I could drive out to his house on a Saturday afternoon to discuss the case. When I arrived, he welcomed me warmly and suggested we sit in the back yard under a large tree. He had arranged some chairs in the shade and had made a pitcher of lemonade. There we sat for the next two hours, enjoying lemonade and a lovely afternoon and discussing Article III of the Constitution. The conversation was much like those that occurred on our regular walks around Capitol Hill–me, an utter novice, struggling to analyze complex issues and say something intelligent; he, a certified genius and constitutional scholar, listening patiently to my ramblings, asking probing questions, occasionally interjecting good humor. A few days later he stopped by my desk to say that one of my comments had been particularly helpful, a fact I seriously doubted but relished nonetheless. In many ways, that Saturday afternoon mirrors my clerkship experience. William Rehnquist loved the law, but he loved life more. He took time to enjoy the journey and happily shared it with others. His superior intellect and astonishing grasp of jurisprudence were never on display, never brought out for show. He cheerfully shared the work of the Court with lesser lights like me. The Chief required that his clerks work efficiently (why write a memo when a conversation will do?) and quickly (10 days, no more, to draft opinions), and yet he was also genial and kind. He cared nothing for prestige or the trappings of high office. He preferred discussing a case with a law clerk over lemonade to hobnobbing with the powerful and prominent of Washington. Those of us who were privileged to work for the Chief treasure what he taught us about the law and lawyering. We treasure more what he taught us about life.
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