The first time I entered the U.S. Supreme Court’s majestic courtroom 16 years ago, I was struck by the 40-foot-long Spanish marble friezes high above the mahogany bench and gallery. The friezes pay homage to leading figures of many civilizations, such as Moses, Solomon, Justinian, Confucius and Charlemagne. I often notice things, such as ornate wooden engravings or moldy sheet rock, high above on courtroom ceilings. That’s because I often look up when arguments or testimony get complicated and when I need to focus my concentration only on what’s being said. This past Monday, the first thing I noticed was the large wall clock high above the justices’ bench. I’d sat down in the space reserved...
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