Appointed by President Ronald Reagan in the mid-1980s, Senior Associate Justice Antonin Scalia is considered conservative, especially when contrasted against some of the other Justices. Scalia graduated A.B. summa cum laude from Georgetown University, where he was also class valedictorian. From there, he set his sights on Harvard Law. He took pride as the editor of Harvard Law Review and to no one's surprise, graduated magna cum laude. The Harvard Law School graduate initially saw himself spending his career in a law firm, which is exactly what he did for more than six years. It wasn't long, however, before he found himself back on a college campus; this time as a law professor.
By the time President Nixon took office, the Honorable Scalia found himself with his first political appointment. Eventually, he would become an assistant attorney general in both the Ford and Nixon administrations. By the time President Carter, a democrat, was elected, Scalia found himself back in the midwest, where he accepted a position at the University of Chicago before finally receiving President Reagan's appointment in 1986.
Justice Scalia is often controversial and even aggressive; he's quick to point out, however, his deep respect for the American justice system and his fierce determination to protect his country. He also lives up to the old saying, ''If it's on his mind, it's on his tongue' (he's a fierce supporter of freedom of speech). He rarely, if ever, attempts to govern his conversations, preferring instead to a far more honest and real approach - whether on the bench or at a dinner party. Indeed, its a rarity in today's society, especially in such a highly visible position as the Supreme Court. He is vehemently against the legalization of abortions, and he surprises Republicans and Democrats alike with his position on a Texas flag burning case and his ruling that prohibition against hate crimes violated freedom of speech in a St. Paul, Minnesota case. Still, he's considered the lighthearted personality on the bench and is said to often evoke laughter with many of his comments and jokes. He relishes the opportunities to write various opinions and those closest to him say he takes great pains to ensure the law is followed, regardless of where he might stand on any one issue. He's been described as articulate, highly accessible and with the ability to ''make even the most mundane areas of the law interesting'. His confidence is both unmistakable and contagious; he is always certain in his stance.
Justice Scalia has nine children and his been married to his wife, Maureen McCarthy, since 1960. His successes, both as a family man and brilliant legal mind, will forever be memorialized as what one should do for success.
