NPR, All Things Considered, May 11, 2009 Host Michelle Norris
http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=104032583&m=104032563
Maria Echaveste: I read it as he was looking for someone who understood that these decisions were not abstract notions to be determined solely, solely upon the strict legal reasoning without any consideration of the real life consequences when you make a decision. People who are going to think critically: what does this mean? How does this impact people’s real lives? Because that is what the Supreme Court does.
Chris Edley: The easy questions are dealt with by the lower courts. It’s the hardest questions and the most important questions that get before the Supreme Court, and, on those questions, it is unusual if strict doctrine gives you the answer by itself. You can’t just look at the page and find the answer. You have to think about what’s the purpose of the law to make it alive.