byron white did not have judici experience. there are many, i think the court really benefits from some sort of diversity within the group. and although i think all of the members of the present court e imminently well qualifiei wouldn't change any one of them. i do think i kind of like the situation before when there was a little diversity in both geographic different law schools and different professionals. >> charlie: it seems like a huge percentage of them now come from ivy league schools. >> that's right. >> charlie: not north western law school. >> that's right. >> charlie: they've all been judges before. >> all excepts alana who has been a solicitor genal and a law clerk. >> charlie: there's no requirement that you, is there a requirement that you be a lawyer. >> no. >> charlie: i didn't think so. when i was in law school there was a professor of constitutional law who wasn't a law but an academyian that he could serve on the court. >> that's right. >> charlie: regrets over these last years. you said there was only one d

he then clerked at the supreme court for associate justice byron white. since their clerkships -- since these clerkships, mr. higginson has served as an assistant u.s. attorney from 1989 to 1993. he served at the u.s. attorney's office in the district of massachusetts. in 1993 he transferred to the eastern district of louisiana, continuing criminal trial work and became chief of appeals in 1995. from 1997 through 1997, he was detailed by the department of justice to work for the united states department of state as deputy director of the presidential rule of law initiative. in 2004 he became a part-time assistant attorney general while serving as a full-time associate professor of law, loyala university new orleans college of law. the american bar association standing committee on the federal judiciary has rated mr. higginson with a unanimous well-qualified vote. i intend to vote for his nomination, and i thank the chair and yield the floor. ms. landrieu: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from louisiana. ms. landrieu: thank you, mr. presid

i was very fond of byron white. i was very fond of them. but i felt very strong about stewart, thurgood marshall, harry blackmun. we were all friends. sandra, the same way, and david when he came on. it's very difficult to elevate one over the other. >> when you talked about sitting on the bench next to nino, as you say, antonin scalia, there was one point that he leaned over to you in an argument and said to you, "must be dumb defendant de." how often did you whisper things like that to each other? >> well, not that one particularly often. but in tinselly is a wonderful guy. he comes up with things like that on average -- but antonin scalia is a wonderful guy. he comes up with things like that. i cannot overstate how clever a person he is. >> here is your fifth chief justice, john roberts. >> justice brandeis once said he could do the 12 months of the work of the court in 10 months, but he could not do it in 12 months. it is good that we get something of a break from each other. we have work that we continue to do. we continue to pour thro

also a look at justice byron white, the university of chicago law professor on how early success and celebrity as a football player shaped his career on the court. look for the complete we can schedule at c-span.org/history. >> i am the first one to admit every day i have to get up in the morning and tell myself i can do this, there is no one better to do this than i am. >> harvard medical school, presidency and neuroses jury, associate prof. of neurosurgery and oncology johns hopkins university, homeless, illegal, migrant farm worker. >> i have to believe that every time i go into the arena, the operating room, i have someone's life in my hands and i am fully capable of getting vespasian in and out of the operating room because that is a trust that these patients have on me. i walk that fine line between confidence and arrogance. >> he shares his life story tonight on "q &a." >> it has been almost 30 years since a small group from the alpha phi alpha fraternity proposed building a memorial to honor dr. king. today, wash the official dedication of the martin luther king jr. national

he serves as a law clerk to justice byron white of the united states supreme court and to patricia wallthe d.c. circuit. he currently teaches law at the new orleans college of law. the american bar association's standing committee on the federal judiciary unanimously rated him well qualified, the highest rating they can give. to serve on the fifth circuit. and the two senators from louisiana, one a democrat, one a republican, democratic senator mary landrieu and republican senator david vitter, support his nomination. in the past, mr. president, such a nominee would go sailing through and would not just have to wait week after week, month after month after month. it's been stalled for months by the republican leadership. i should, incidentally, just so the record is clear, the day, july 14, when he was confirmed in the -- by the judiciary committee or nomination was sent forward by the judiciary committee, we cleared his nomination on the democratic side. it's been held up on the other side ever since. now, the people of louisiana -- actually, the other states in the fifth circuit, miss

byron, thanks for being here. >> good to be here. >> greta: white house waffling about major provision of the health care law. is the white house backing down. senator lindsey graham here next. fiery crash claims the life of a champ. you will see that crash. on the record and the last place expect to get fired on on capitol hill. two respected generals, one you know very well under attack. see why they are being part of it and how they are firing back. ♪ most brewers have a dash of hops we use a pound of hops per barrel. we add some caramel malt to that. samuel adams lager is a full bodied complex beer... but everything is there in balance. we haven't deviated from the recipe because it works it's a great beer. executor of efficiency. you can spot an amateur from a mile away... while going shoeless and metal-free in seconds. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choo any car in the aisle...and go. you can even take a full-se or above, and still pay the mid-size price. now this...will work. [ ale announcer ] just like you, business pro. just like you. go national. go like a o. you know w

byron, thanks for being here. >> good to be here. >> greta: white house waffling about major provision of the health care law. is the white house backing down. senator lindsey graham here next. fiery crash claims the life of a champ. you will see that crash. on the record and the last place expect to get fired on on capitol hill. two respected generals, one you know very well under attack. see why they are being part of it and how they are firing back. ford fusion has now been named the most dependable midsize car by jd power and associates. we go to kimberly. any thoughts on this news? i have no idea what's goin on. we are out. what was that? they told me it's the most dependable midsize sedan and they ran back into their little box. most brewers have a dash of hops we use a pound of hops per barrel. we add some caramel malt to that. samuel adams lager is a full bodied complex beer... but everything is there in balance. we haven't deviated from the recipe because it works it's a great beer. >> greta: flip flop? well, over the weekend, maybe. on friday the obama administration said a major provision of the he