As an astronomer-cum-lawyer and a big word nerd, I am thrilled to see that the Supreme Court took a break from being serious yesterday to learn a new word:

MR. FRIEDMAN: “I think that issue is entirely orthogonal to the issue here because…”

CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: “I’m sorry.  Entirely what?

MR. FRIEDMAN: “Orthogonal.  Right-angle.  Unrelated.  Irrelevant.”

CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: “Oh.”

JUSTICE SCALIA: “What was that adjective?  I like that.”

MR. FRIEDMAN: “Orthogonal.”

CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS.  ”Orthogonal.”

MR. FRIEDMAN: “Right, right.”

JUSTICE SCALIA: “Orthogonal, oooh.”

JUSTICE KENNEDY: “I knew this case presented us a problem.”

MR. FRIEDMAN: “I should have… I probably should have said that…”

JUSTICE SCALIA: “I think we should use that in the opinion.”

MR. FRIEDMAN: “I thought… thought I had seen it before…”

JUSTICE SCALIA: “Or the dissent.”

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Posted by AndyCowan on January 12th, 2010 :: Filed under A Day in the Life, Judicial Pearls of Wisdom
Tags :: almost but not quite entirely unlike law, law and science, overheard in court, Things that are funny, words that are in fact words
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