we begin with chief legal correspondent, jan crawford. >> reporer: he was a giant in the law. known for sharp intellect and sharp tongue, justice scalia's views on the constitution influenced a generation. nominated by president reagan, scalia joined the court with judges should follow the original understanding of the constitution. one of his most significant opinions was the landmark ruling that the second amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. he could seem combative, despite partisan rancor of washington, scalia had deep friendships with liberal justices, ruth bader ginsburg who shared his affinity for opera. his disagreements he said in a 2008 interview with 60 minutes were not personal. >> i attack idea. i don't attack people. some very good people have very bad idea. >> reporter: in a statement, ginsburg said they were best buddies and color critiques made her opinions better. he nailed all the weak spots,