by Karen Brune Mathis
Managing Editor
More than 300 members and guests of the Jacksonville Women’s Network heard tales about the U.S. Supreme Court last week from National Public Radio legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg.
However, the veteran public radio reporter led her presentation with a simple question: “Have you made your contribution?”
Totenberg, based on NPR’s Washington, D.C., desk, shared her insights, observations and experiences in covering the nation’s highest court.
Despite the weight of their opinions, Supreme Court justices “are still people,” with foibles and a sense of humor, she said.
She told the story of retired Associate Justice David Souter driving and stopping for lunch during his service on the court.
“Aren’t you a Supreme Court justice?” asked a man. Yes, replied Souter.
“See, I told you he was Justice Breyer,” the man told his wife, confusing Souter with Stephen Breyer.
“What do you most enjoy about the Supreme Court?” the man then asked the judge.
“I think it’s probably serving with Justice Souter,” he replied.
Totenberg, an award-winning reporter honored by media groups and foundations as well as the American Bar Association, joined NPR in 1975 and before that served as Washington editor of New Times Magazine and legal affairs correspondent for the National Observer.
She recalled covering cases and topics early in her career that involved a law professor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who in 1993 became the second woman to be sworn in as an associate justice of the Supreme Court. Sandra Day O’Connor was the first, serving from 1981 until her retirement in 2006.
Totenberg recalled Ginsburg’s “pioneering journey to the Supreme Court.” As she graduated from law school, taught and practiced law, she also experienced life as many women have.
Totenberg said Ginsburg had a son later in life who was a rambunctious student. The school administrators would call Ginsburg, a professor and lawyer, regularly to come tend to his behavior.
“This child does have two parents, you know,” Ginsburg told the school administrators, asking them to alternate the calls between her and her husband.
“The calls stopped,” said Totenberg. “They were much more loathe to call men away from work.”
Totenberg talked about the changes in the nine-member court since she began covering it, including the gender of the membership.
Along with Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan were appointed to the court. Sotomayor joined in 2009 and Kagan in 2010.
In viewing the official court portrait, with Kagan on one side and Sotomayor on the other and Ginsburg in the middle is “quit a jolt to us who covered the court when there were no
women.”
The other members are Breyer, Chief Justice John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.
Totenberg talked about changes in the court and its opinions over the years with different administrations and said that “elections have consequences for the courts now more than ever.”
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