School of Law to host conversation with Alito

The School of Law is hosting a visit to Buffalo by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. on Oct. 20.

In an appearance at Shea’s Performing Arts Center before an invitation-only audience, Alito will respond to questions from the law school’s interim dean, SUNY Distinguished Professor James A. Gardner, and Hodgson Russ Chairman Daniel C. Oliverio.

“We’re glad to have this opportunity for dialogue with Justice Alito,” Gardner says. “For us as lawyers and legal educators, it’s important to be in touch with the workings of the Supreme Court, the most closely watched judicial body in the United States. I anticipate a lively and rewarding conversation with the justice.”

Alito has served on the nation’s high court since 2006. He was a Third Circuit Court of Appeals judge when nominated by President George W. Bush following a distinguished career that included positions in the Department of Justice and as a U.S. attorney in his native New Jersey. A graduate of Yale Law School, he filled the position vacated by the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

Alito is generally considered to be part of the court’s conservative wing, along with Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. However, his opinions in several key cases have diverged from those of his conservative colleagues. He is also known as a fierce critic of reliance on legislative history in statutory interpretation.