Live at the National Constitution Center An Evening With Justice Amy Coney Barrett
Sep 30, 2025
Join Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a prominent U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice and author, as she shares her unique journey to the bench and her insights on constitutional interpretation. She discusses her deep-rooted values from New Orleans, the balance of her large family life, and her transition from English literature to law. Barrett delves into originalism, emphasizing the importance of public meaning over intent, and reflects on the role of history in recognizing unenumerated rights. Civility and collegiality in the Court's proceedings are also highlighted, offering a glimpse into her deliberative process.
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Great-Grandmother’s Small House
- Amy Coney Barrett describes visiting her great-grandmother's tiny house in New Orleans and feeling inspired by how she stretched limited resources to include many family members.
- The image reminds her to stretch capacity and she keeps the photo on her desk as a regular prompt.
Control Your Emotions
- Control your emotions or they will control you is practical advice Barrett attributes to her father for exercising self-discipline.
- She credits this lesson with helping her respond rationally in high-pressure roles.
Clerkship As Formative Apprenticeship
- Barrett recounts clerking for Judge Silberman and Justice Scalia and learning judicial reasoning from case intake to drafting opinions.
- She emphasizes clerking as an intensive, formative apprenticeship that shaped her understanding of judging and collegiality.
