i was tempted to think of listening to judge allbritton's introduction. if you notice all the things justice kagan has done -- it reminds me of president kennedy's favorite quip about justice -- dining alone. we would be happy to have anybody with any one of those credentials here for the allbritton lecture. it is amazing to find them all in one person. so thank you, you do is a great honor to be here. if i may, let me start with a question to sort of tie our law school together with your own experience. a few weeks ago at first-year orientation we had a wonderful presentation by a former alabama attorney general, bill baxley, and former u.s. attorney doug jones about their efforts to reopen prosecutions in the 16th street baptist church bombing cases that occurred about 50 years ago. i thought the presentations were inspiring. they were inspiring to me as an old guy. you may also know the author of "to kill a mockingbird" harper lee studied at our school. another former student we are very proud of. i am wondering whether there are fictional or real lawy

colleagues was judge allbritton is a very persuasive man. [laughter] wassecond thing they said people just have such a good time when they go. then they come back and each justice comes here and goes back and tells all his or her colleagues, you have to go down there. so each one of us has gone. just a warmth and hospitality and graciousness that you all have shown me just in the last 12 hours roofs that all my colleagues are right. i will give you one example. i mentioned that the chief justice justices said to me that he is a little bit disappointed, he had a great time, but there's one thing he hadn't gotten to do and that is go to dreamland. so i mentioned this and he said myt he sought wasn't on schedule, either. i immediately got an offer of ribs to take back with me. and also a little surprise for the chief justice. [laughter] the dean whoo pretends to be a newbie at this business but seems to me a complete professional and you are very lucky to have him. i know from dean's, i was one. so thank you, dean brubaker. judge allbritton and