George J. Mitchell Quotes

I was privileged to serve as a judge.

When I graduated from law school in 1959, there wasn't a single woman on any federal bench. It wouldn't be a realistic ambition for a woman to want to become a federal judge. It wasn't realistic until Jimmy Carter became our president.

I have been approached to consider an appointment to the Virginia Supreme Court. I am humbled and honored to be considered for such a position, but it is not something that my wife and I have previously contemplated.

For the last decade, I've worked as a federal judge in a court that spans six Western states, serving about 20 percent of the continental United States and about 18 million people. The men and women I've worked with at every level in our circuit are an inspiration to me.

What a profound privilege to go from one who took the oath from a judge to one who now is in the position to administer the oath as a judge.

I was the United States Attorney for Maine for three years, and then was appointed a federal judge.

I was a chief justice. And before that, I was a district court judge, handled major felonies, including capital murder cases; and I handled major civil litigation.

The law seemed to be always what I came back to. I have never, one day in my life as a lawyer, regretted my decision to become a lawyer.

The law as a profession has provided me with more satisfaction than I ever dreamed.

I'm incredibly proud to have supported the confirmation of fellow Hoosier Holly A. Brady from Fort Wayne to serve as a United States district judge for the Northern District of Indiana.

When I was starting out as a barrister in the 1980s, Lord Denning was the most famous judge in the land, and the supposed role model for every lawyer. But not for me.

I was a sitting judge in Manhattan. I was a supervising judge in Manhattan, and they said to me, 'Did you ever think of doing what you do on television?'

I had the privilege of chairing Judge Samuel Alito confirmation hearing in 1990. And at that time, he had practiced law for 14 years, but only represented one client, the United States government.

Harriet Miers is totally qualified for the Supreme Court of the United States. Her legal background, her absolute leadership in the legal field when she was a practicing lawyer are unqualified.

Timothy Batten is an individual of high integrity and has given many years of service to Georgia and to the United States, .. His common sense dedication to the rule of law, intellect and experience make him a solid candidate for the federal bench in North Georgia.

After law school, I had the opportunity to clerk for a tremendous judge, Leonard I. Garth, on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, the court to which I was appointed in 1990.

As I understand, the role of the federal judiciary, the role of our court system, is to provide justice.

When I was on the bench, I worked harder.

If you're in the business of law you're in the business of representation and precedent.

For me, there can be no higher public service than serving as a member of the U.S. Supreme Court.

I clerked for a judge, William Norris, on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals right after law school and then for Justice O'Connor the next year.

Much of the work legal executives do has to be supervised by a solicitor, irrespective of the experience or ability of the individual. In practice, this is a major disincentive to legal executives setting up their own high street practices. Even when they can do the work, they are still tied to solicitors.

I am the leading federal judge in the country - the leader in the entire country of promoting women law clerks to get Supreme Court clerkships.

As someone that's interacted with the federal judiciary a time or two, I will tell you that I have a unique perspective on federal judges.

A judge must interpret statutes as written. And a judge must interpret the Constitution as written, informed by history and tradition and precedent.