I Have Been A Judge For 15

When I Had My Confirmation Hearing For The Court Of Appeals, [my Son] Philip Was 3 Years Old. And When I Was Called Up To The Chair He Took It Upon Himself To Run Up And Sit Next To Me In Case Any Hard Questions Came Up.

This Was A Time Of Great Intellectual Excitement For Me. Both College And Law School Opened Up New Worlds Of Ideas.

In Southern Italy, Where My Grandparents Had Lived, There Were Few Opportunities. The Society Was Static, With Rigid Social Classes. Poor People, Like My Grandparents, Had Little Chance To Improve Their Lives, No Matter Their Talents Or Willingness To Work.

As I Mentioned, Things Were Particularly Hard During The Depression. My Paternal Grandfather Was Frequently Out Of Work, And The Family Was Evicted From Their Home.

When I Entered College, I Thought That I Wanted To Be A Lawyer, But By The Time I Was Set To Graduate, I Was Not Too Sure Of That.