Journal Title
St. Mary's Law Journal
Volume
38
Issue
1
First Page
1
Document Type
Article
Publication Information
2006
Abstract
William H. Rehnquist served as the seventeenth Chief Justice of the United States. During this time, the Chief Justice taught for St. Mary’s University School of Law over four summers, two weeks each July in 1991, 1994, 1998, and 2000. Chief Justice Rehnquist lectured on the Supreme Court in United States History as part of the law school’s Institute on World Legal Problems in Innsbruck, Austria. Chief Justice Rehnquist felt welcome in Innsbruck, and had earned the St. Mary’s faculty’s fond regard and the students’ admiration.
The memories of the summers spent in Innsbruck with Chief Justice Rehnquist are shared by the faculty members, students, and guests who participated in the Innsbruck program during the years when the Chief Justice headlined the faculty as the “Distinguished Visiting Jurist.” Those various memories are a special part of the history of St. Mary’s University School of Law. These reminiscences offer an extra-judicial perspective on Chief Justice Rehnquist as a teacher, a guest, and a traveler, rather than as a lawyer, a jurist, or a scholar. During his four summers in Innsbruck, Chief Justice Rehnquist was a very grateful guest. Time and again he expressed his appreciation to St. Mary’s University and to those who assisted him during his visits. Spending two weeks with the Chief Justice was always a lesson in civility and good manners. As a guest, traveler, and teacher, he set a high standard for courtesy, thoughtfulness, and professionalism. Indeed, he was excellent company.
Recommended Citation
Vincent R. Johnson, Tribute, Rehnquist, Innsbruck, and St. Mary’s University, 38 St. Mary’s L. J. 1 (2006).