roberts," the chief justice of the united states ten years in. so not on this particular topic, but well worth the read. with that i'm going to turn things over to adam. [ applause ] >> thanks, leonard. state attorneys general occupy one of the most important and complex roles in american government. though elected or selected politically, in office their duty is to the rule of law. they're responsible for vindicating both the laws of the state and the rights of their citizens and the united states constitution separation of powers and federalism. now here today we have two -- it's hard to think of two better speakers on this subject right now. one newly elected and serving now for this year is the attorney general state of nevada and another who served as the attorney general for the state of alabama before joining the 11th circuit. begin with judge william h. pryor jr., serving on the 11th circuit since 2004. but perhaps more direct relevance this morning, he served as attorney general of alabama from 1997 to 2004. when first appointed, he was the youngest attorney general in the nation. he was elected and reelected in 199 1k38 2002. he received the highest percentage of votes of