“It was an absolutely unique opportunity that I think will be hard to recreate in my legal career,” said Simon L. Conway, an HLS student who hails from the United Kingdom.
The event was the first time “in recent memory” that the Law School has hosted two sitting Supreme Court justices simultaneously, according to HLS Communications Director Michael A. Armini. He added that it was also one of the school’s most popular gatherings, forcing dozens who arrived even 30 minutes early to file into a cramped overflow-seating room.
The event also had more lighthearted moments, including references to the justices’ long history of disagreement.
“Are we always on different sides? No, we’re not, interestingly enough,” Breyer said. “Quite a lot we are.”
“It’s the Harvard bond,” Law School dean and moderator Elena Kagan interjected.
—Staff writer Javier C. Hernandez can be reached at jhernand@fas.harvard.edu.