Supreme Court Justice sonya sotomayor. [applause] kathryn fitz. [applause] and Supreme Court publications director. Claire kurtzman. [applause] it is now my privilege to introduce the Board Certified cardiologist, jazz musician, and former president of Cornell University and university of iowa. He is interested in learning and most importantly, it he is a pescatarian. Thank you for the introduction and thank you on behalf of the American People for the great job you do. So innovative and creative. This is an amazing museum. [applause] and especially in such an interesting election year, we appreciate all you and your colleagues are doing to share so many aspects of america. Esteemed colleagues and friends, welcome to this unique opportunity to find out more about the highest court in the landing and how its members have worked together. The Supreme Court and the smithsonian have long had close ties. Since the 19 century, the chief justice is served as the smithsonian board of regents. I am indebted to chief john roberts for his work in this capacity and the guidance he has provided me and my transition in the first year at the smithsonian and the education about the smithsonian and his ongoing leadership. Justice sotomayor and Justice Ginsburg, i thank you for your crucial work which underpins our democracy. Thank you. [applause] i know i speak for everyone when i say you are pioneers, role models, and exemplar the nuanced and simple thinking which undergird the american law, and i am glad to say, friends of the smithsonian. They have shared their fascinating stories with us as part of our Smithsonian Associates program and they are both represented in the National Portrait gallery. The painting also features Justice Kagan and former Justice Oconnor. I encourage all of you to see it, it is on display through october. The National Postal museum has stamps that feature stamps legal giants. And i am proud to say it features Sandra Day Oconnor when she was sworn in as the first female justice in the Supreme Court. The seismic shifts and our nations history have been characterized i struggle. The politics have been frequently hotly contested. As this years contentious the seismic shifts and our nations history have been characterized i struggle. The politics have been frequently hotly contested. As this years contentious president ial election unfolds, it is good to remember that politics can end at the edge of a plate. This is because food brings us altogether. It is communal. It is ritual. Food has always bound civilization. It is evident in the centuriesold tradition of breaking red. One of my favorite variations of the term is, it is hard to remain enemies when you have broken bread together. Nothing exemplifies that sense of it more than the close relationship shared by Justice Ginsburg and the late justice antonin scalia. The picture of the two of them on top of an elephant in the top of on the top of an india to me was worth many thousands of words. These millions these brilliant colleagues put that aside when breaking bread. Convening people to explore our shared humanity and wisdom is what the smithsonian is all about. From discussions of current topics to Educational Programs to events like this which examine our common bonds, the smithsonian is at heart a place where people can come together. Thank you for gathering so we can hear fascinating stories and for taking food for thought. John . [applause] think you very much, secretary. And thank you to our partners at the Supreme CourtHistorical Society. We also welcome the staff of the Supreme Court in the offices of Justice Sotomayor and Justice Ginsburg and many of our other guests. We are honored to be joined by two members of the nations highest court and they come together to talk about food. In fact, this is one of those rare and special times when the justices will speak publicly on topics outside the law. We are the home of julia childs kitchen and so many other treasures related to food and its consumption and production and we do so for a reason. We make the intimate link between food and our history and in doing so we help our nation understand the past in order to make sense of the present and shape a more humane future. Through history, food stores, and our own history of food, we create an awareness and empathy for all. With that, a few ground rules. Please limit your photography to the first two minutes of the discussion after i leave the stage. Remember to turn off your cell phones. It is now our honored to introduce two nights pattern on the fascinating, delicious topic of food at the Supreme Court. Please join me in introducing our panel. Justice Ruth Ginsburg join the court in 1993, formerly she had a distinguished legal career. Justice ginsburg attended Harvard Law School and received a degree from Columbia Law School and served on the law review at both schools. Justice Sonia Sotomayor joined the Supreme Court in 2009, previously as part of it an extensive and distinguished legal career, she served in u. S. District court, Southern District of new york, she earned a jd from Yale Law School where she served as editor of the law journal. Kathryn fits and the and the thank you all for joining us at both schools. Justice Sonia Sotomayor joined the Supreme Court in 2009, previously as part of it an extensive and distinguished legal career, she served in u. S. District court, Southern District of new york, she earned a jd from Yale Law School where she served as editor of the law journal. Kathryn fits and the and the thank you all for joining us at our table and we look forward to this discussion. Thank you. [applause] thank you for that introduction. On behalf of the Supreme CourtHistorical Society, i would like to thank the smithsonian for partnering with us at this event and for hosting us in this beautiful room and especially to the staff for organizing it. On this cold february night on a cold february night in 1790, the justices met and held their first session of the Supreme Court and new york city. After they adjourned, they went to a tavern in Lower Manhattan and to eight. They dined with new yorks district judges, the attorney general, and had a good time. They made 13 toasts, including one to the president , one to the new national judiciary. So, since its very inception, the supreme Court Justices have found ways to come together and share meals. As they are appointed for life, they often said on the bench together for years if not decades. And they look for ways to enhance cordiality and cooperation by breaking bread together. Tonight we are going to examine the evolution of some of the Court Customs and evolving food from the early 19th century and hear about what some of these distinguished justices have to say about current practices. Lets start with the Marshall Court era. John marshall, the great justice who presided over the cord. There were six and then seven justices and they were appointed from all up and down the eastern seaboard from georgia to kentucky. They came to washington to the Supreme Court sessions a loan. They left their wives and children in their hometown. They did not move their families to washington because the term was very short. During the John Marshall irick, it was about two months long. Accordingly, chief justice John Marshall arranged for them all to live together in a boarding house and they had almost all of their meals together. So, catherine, why did John Marshall want the justices to live, dine, work, and socialize. Together . I would say that the primary reason was he wanted to build a bond between the justices. It also goes to say the courts had a nomadic existence. They were in new york and then moved to philadelphia and then came to washington. We have to remember in washington it was not the city we know today. There were very few places for the justices and members of congress to come to washington. So they lived in the boarding houses and gained that fraternal bond and to come together. John marshall also wanted the justices to come together and speak in one voice to give the court some stature. Clare when they were eating in the boarding houses where they had a private room or with other guests . Catherine they probably shared some meals with other guests. But they met in private if they were talking about cases. Clare so they actually ate dinner and deliberated case that the same time . Catherine according to stories, that is the case. Clare so there was no Conference Room available to them at the court . [laughter] what is the situation like in the capital . Catherine i should have prefaced my remarks with that. When the court moved to washington there was the president s house, the capital, and even though we had a third branch of government there was no place for the Supreme Court to me. So graciously, a room was made in the basement of the capital but that was a Small Committee room. I think was 30 feet by 35 feet. And in this way, the Supreme Court had their First Chamber on the first floor of the capitol building. So that is the era when that John Marshall comes to washington and leaves the court. Clare John Marshall had a great fondness for a fortified wine imported from the portuguese island of material. He was not alone. It was popular with many of the Founding Fathers including thomas jefferson. Apparently the shaking and the funnel like conditions in the ships hold david a compact, caramel flavor they like. Catherine, tell us a little bit about John Marshall and madeira. Catherine i think he gained his taste for madera in a richmond. I hope i pronounce it correctly, he was part of a club in richmond that was essentially a Barbecue Club for gentlemen and John Marshall is one of the founding members and they had their own punch and madeira was one of the primary ingredients. Cognac, rome, sugar, and madeira was one of the primary it was definitely one of the primary ingredients. Akin to coursers and they would throw these are rings to pegs them of the reasons they got together was to have this bond and John Marshall was vigorous thatnforcing roles politics was not to be discussed. If anyone was caught discussing, were find a case of champagne which would then be consumed at the next meeting. [laughter] bottlesly he had labeled that he brought with him to the boarding house. I think there were local merchants that played on john fondness forother medira. Gave us the theory of approval with John Marshall. Marshal had a great ally on the named joseph man from massachusetts. Paly he had a weak stomach and was a teetotaler. That did not last long. That theto his wife justices tried hard not to drink too much wine. They had a rule that only on rainy days and for medicinal purposes with a abide. [laughter] apparently this was not a bright line rule. If this is true. You know the story about the rainy day told various versions. They truck only when it rains. The chief justice said, he looked out the window and the sun is shining brightly and he said, somewhere in the world it is raining. [laughter] Justice Ginsburg, do you have an anecdote as well . They were very close. She did not like him to be away at the capital city for weeks at a time. She decided she would come along with him. , chief justice shehall, a rather uneasy said it would be all right if he dined with her. She must not be around when they are discussing cases. Distractt want her to just a story from the work he would do. Out, sarah stomach was no better than josephs and the alcohol do not agree with her so she left before the term ended, but it was the beginning of the end of the boarding house. Have this i boardinghouse fail when i can be living with my family . Left and thenn another and another, and what happened when the boarding house style of living ended, dissent began to appear within the court. John marshall did a remarkable thing. The tradition was that each justice wrote his own opinion. If there was a panel of five judges, there would be five opinions. Was this should be, one opinion that would speak for the court. There should be no dissent. He thought all the decisions were written by the chief justice. When the boardinghouse started to go down, so did the unanimity. Theres evidence that the marshall Court Justices like to share regional mood products. Food products. Hamsmarshall sent virginia twostory in boston. And he reciprocated by sending down salted cod. And a recipe for how to cook it. It is not easy. You have to cope it soak it. Justiceson is for both , starting with Justice Ginsburg, are there other examples of justices today on the Court Bringing food from their hometown from the travels . Hunting trees. We had a hunter on the court who would bring everything back from fowl, to bambi. Very generous in sharing. Justice breyer, not so long ago decided that he needed to introduce his grandchildren to pheasants combine our colleague caught by our colleague and presented it cooked to the grandchildren unexplained had to be careful because there might game. Lets in the a refuse to eat it. They refused to eat it. Beef jerky, another favorite. By Sandra Day Oconnors ranch. On the family year sheof times a would bring a large supply of jerky. Did you try it . It was very spicy. Very spicy. I would have loved it. [laughter] breyer woulde bring wine for the court to share . Only on very special occasions. [laughter] it was the traditional dinner before the state of the union message. When youre, Justice Kennedy came with a couple bottles one year, Justice Kennedy came with a couple bottles. I fells the first time asleep during the state of the union. [laughter] i understand that when you first join the court, you brought a treat with you from new york to the other justices. I should not be telling tales but the colleagues on the panel with me, i was told enjoyed s soes so i brought sweet i brought a box full of new york pastries with me. I learned later that the treat she is most fond of is muffins. [laughter] now we have our own pastry chef and the court. Many justices have had food related traditions with their clerks. Harry blackmun like to have breakfast with his clerks every morning in the Supreme Court cafeteria. Love Justice Warren burger good food and wine and was a good chef and would make bean soup for his clerks on saturday. Ive been try to get a recipe for the soup but it seems to be a little of this and a little bit of whatever is around. Quite delicious. As for your the justices, d have particular do you have particular food traditions . Lots of them. I love food. Routinely on weekends when the bagel shop near the court was opened, it is not closed, i would bring bagels on the weekend. By also to cream cheeses and we would spend a lunch hour eating fresh bagels. Homewith my law clerks at fairly regularly i eat with my law clerks at home fairly regularly, every couple of months. They are charged with finding a new delivery place that can deliver some food that is new for us. It is also in the clerks manual that one of the responsibilities during the year is to identify the restaurant i have not eaten at. [laughter] it has expanded my knowledge of pc restaurants dc restaurants. Relatedmy final food is whenn with my clerks i travel, particularly abroad, but anywhere in the United States that might be different than a local spot, i bring back chocolate on that place or the traditional sweets. If you come to my office, almost always, there is candy which is unusual for a diabetic. [laughter] i once had a child asked me how could a diabetic have candy in her office . , people like it and they come to talk to me when they know there is candy. [laughter] sometimes i make a detour. [laughter] especially around halloween when the supply is enormous. I have a big halloween ball. Bowl. As he mentioned, getting back to the 19th century, by the 40s, the justices were bringing their families with them and living in washington. They became part of t