Justice Elena Kagan awarded Brandeis Medal

Supreme Court Associate Justice Elena Kagan was presented with the 2016 Brandeis Medal at an event Oct. 24. 

The medal, awarded by the Brandeis School of Law, honors those whose lives and work reflect the values of Justice Louis D. Brandeis. More than 300 people turned out to celebrate the event.

Before accepting the medal, Kagan participated in a conversation-style discussion with Brandeis Law Professors Laura Rothstein and Justin Walker. They asked her questions about her experiences in law school, her relationship with other Supreme Court justices and her thoughts about Brandeis, whom she has called one of her favorite justices. 

"I love the way he writes. I love that everything he did is really grounded. He believed in facts," Kagan said. "I love the way he thinks about American history." 

Kagan said she also appreciates the wisdom and prescience in Brandeis' opinions. 

Kagan also reflected on her experiences at Harvard Law School, where she spent time as a student, professor and dean. 

"From the first week, I knew I loved it," she said of being a law student. She especially appreciated the classes where the law was treated as a puzzle and where it was obvious that the law affects real lives.

"The most important thing, I think, about law school is that it teaches you how to think," Kagan said. "It teaches a way of thinking that is valuable for everything."

 Kagan served as a law clerk for Justice Thurgood Marshall during the 1987 term, an experience she called "amazing."

She reflected on his impressive law career, including his work with the NAACP and the arguing of Brown v. Board of Education.

"He goes into the history books for everything he did prior to sitting on the court," Kagan said. "He was the world's greatest storyteller. In my whole life, I have never heard such a raconteur."

In speaking about her own experience on the court, Kagan emphasized the importance of collegiality and civility, especially in the midst of complex cases and disagreements.

"There are only eight of us doing this one thing," she said. The justices traditionally attend lunch together after a vote, and that experience of spending time together after a heated debate is important, she said.