00:00:00.500 - 00:00:29.299

Ladies and gentlemen to present to night speaker Dr David Davenport. I do have notes with me tonight which for obvious reasons I will have to discard and I thank you uh, Doctor White for that introduction. I thank you especially for mentioning some of my own experiences

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as a law student uh in moot court some 10 years ago as I was uh experiencing today with our own students, I couldn't help but think how similar this was to my own moot court experience as a student. We too had a Supreme Court justice from

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the Capitol uh preside over the final bench in our competition albeit uh coming only from the nearby capital of Topeka. We we too as contestants were given a fine dinner at one of the nice eating establishments in town, albeit the student cafeteria at the Union at

00:01:07.610 - 00:01:25.160

the University of Kansas in Lawrence. And uh I must also add that our dean also read his remarks that evening. Uh how albeit not with the same wit and humor that uh we have come to appreciate from Dean Phillips. And so as we assemble tonight, even

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though uh I considered it an honor even to argue before a justice of the Kansas Supreme Court. Uh our students today have had an honor that very few of us lawyers will ever experience, namely arguing before a justice of the United States Supreme Court. Before ascending

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to the Supreme Court. Our speaker tonight was described as quote a wizard at consensus making by her colleagues in the State Senate in Arizona. One of her fellow judges on the Arizona Court of Appeals has recently written that she is the intellectual leader in any group

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discussion. And I think our students who had a discussion with her at the bench this afternoon will confirm that observation. Yet another Arizona lawyer has written that as an attorney, she was a painstakingly careful lawyer. And as a judge, she ran her courtroom with a taught

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discipline and a clear disdain for lawyers who had not done their homework. And even that well known legal journal People Magazine has included our speaker tonight as one of the hardest working celebrities, citing the 5000 or so petitions and the 160 or so cases that she

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must tackle every year. Sandra Day o'connor uh was reared in Arizona and attended Stanford University where she graduated magna cum laude. After just three years, she went on to the Stanford Law School uh where she worked on the law review with her classmate, uh who also

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did rather well in his career, William H Rehnquist. And in fact, I noted one other similarity between Justice Rehnquist and Justice o'connor. Justice o'connor, I understand is also a tennis player. And, uh, several years ago, Justice Rehnquist visited our campus, uh, and was able to sneak

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in several games on our courts, which we invite you to do as well. And after she had played on one of our courts, we, of course, with all due respect for Justice Rehnquist renamed that the Pepperdine Supreme Court. And, uh, we invite her to uh to

00:03:36.080 - 00:03:54.970

visit that as well. The Supreme Court of Pepperdine is not to be confused with the tree incidentally, that was planted on our campus by then Governor Ronald Reagan, which we have since renamed affectionately the Reagan Bush for at least uh four more years. Justice o'connor graduated

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in the top 10 of her class at the Stanford Law School and engaged in the private practice of law in San Mateo County in Frankfurt Germany when her husband was stationed there and also in her home State of Arizona, she then took uh several years to

00:04:10.869 - 00:04:23.709

pursue what is for her. A very high priority, the rearing of their three sons. And you met earlier this evening. Uh One of her sons who is able to be with us. She re entered the legal profession as an assistant attorney general in her home state

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of Arizona later was uh became a member of the State Senate in Arizona, becoming ultimately the majority leader in the senate. The first woman to hold that position uh in the United States. And then she became a member of the Arizona Court of Appeals. As we

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all know, in 1981 as a judge, she became not just a follower of precedent, but she became a setter of president. Uh when President Ronald Reagan appointed her to become a member of the United States Supreme Court, she was the first woman and this uh I

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guess statistic amazes me as much as, as anything after 191 years and the appointment of 101 male justices, she was, as we all know the first woman to be appointed to the United States Supreme Court. Hm Her work on the bench has been praised for its

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thoroughness for its incisiveness. She is a clear thinker and a clear writer which we law professors appreciate. She has been an advocate for state's rights and for limiting the encroachment of federal courts and judges upon state and local prerogatives. And as she has served as a

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justice, she has also continued her commitment as a strong family person. Her husband John, who we met earlier has been her husband for over three decades and she has raised three fine young sons. In closing, I would especially note this uh Justice o'connor receives hundreds, perhaps

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even thousands of opportunities to speak to travel around the country. I asked her tonight, uh how many times she was able to serve as a justice, a chief justice of a moot court competition. And she indicated that of all the many invitations she received, she's able

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to, to typically honor perhaps one per year. And so it has been, I think a real compliment to our students that she was able to come today and spend several hours with them. And I think it is a real honor and privilege for us tonight that

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she has extended her visit to be with us. And so I'm very pleased to present to you and I hope you will join me in welcoming to Pepperdine and to our dinner tonight. The honorable Sandra Day o'connor, introduce Mr Boss

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first and we're going to do this presentation. There is to be a special presentation at this time. And I would like to present Mr Thomas G Bost, chairman of the Board of Regents of Pepperdine University and a member of our partner in the

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law firm of Latham and Watkins, Mr Bost. Thank you very much, Dean Phillips Justice o'connor. The university has received a special gift in honor of this occasion that will be placed on permanent display at the Odell mcconnell Law Center. It has been made possible through the

00:08:01.209 - 00:08:20.529

generosity of two Phoenix Arizona, friends of the o'connors and the law school, Mister Thomas J Trimble, a member of our law school Board of Visitors and a partner in the Phoenix Law Firm of Jennings Strauss and Salmon and Mr R. Steagall, also a member of the

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law school Board of Visitors and president of Steagall and Son Ranch Company in Arizona. Mr Trimble's son James is a third year law student at Pepperdine and Mr Steal's daughter Elizabeth is in her first year at Pepperdine law school. We are now pleased to unveil this

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gift. This work of art by Sculptress, Laura Pennington of Arizona and New York was authorized by Justice o'connor. It will serve as a special reminder of this special and important occasion. This impressive sculpture of Justice o'connor is cast in bronze on a, on

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a marble and oak base and will be placed on permanent display in the Harnish Library of our Odell mcconnell Law Center. I would like for Mister Trimble, Mister Steagall and the Sculptress MS Pennington to please stand so they might express our sincere appreciation for their gift.

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Thank you very much, Doctor White Dean Phillips Faculty and friends of the Pepperdine Law School and my friends, Arthur and Tom and Laura Pennington. Thank you so much for this wonderful evening and for providing a very special surprise. And um as I look over there at

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that rather stern looking face, I want all of you to loosen up as I've been taught to do recently. I also want to thank you for offering such a pleasant break from my duties in Washington. I can certainly see now why my colleagues,

00:11:05.849 - 00:11:29.549

Justices Rehnquist and Blackman have recently made time in their schedules to visit here, not only is the setting of the university spectacular, but the students and staff I met today impressed me as thoughtful and invigorating and I'm particularly impressed with the effort of the law school

00:11:29.820 - 00:11:54.530

to instruct students and practitioners in the ethical and moral duties of the legal profession. I believe that a legal education that fails to include careful instruction in values and ethics is seriously deficient. And I'm glad to see that this school through such efforts as the Ira

00:11:54.539 - 00:12:17.549

Sherman Center for Ethical Awareness has afforded the study of attorney ethics a central role. Now, the first problem one has to deal with when agreeing to speak to a group. Such as this is the topic of the speech and legal ethics is a topic which I

00:12:17.559 - 00:12:36.669

often select in speaking to law schools. But since there is little new, I could say to you who are in the forefront of that field, I think there's no need to address that here tonight. Sometimes I've been tempted to tell a program chairman that my subject

00:12:36.679 - 00:13:03.840

would be everything you really wanted to know about how the Supreme Court operates. But we're afraid to ask. But alas one burden of being a judge and one way to get to be a judge, Dean Phillips is is to be judicious. So instead of that topic,

00:13:04.169 - 00:13:26.090

I decided to speak to you on the less exciting and less provocative subject of some of the ways in which the Supreme court operates, which I'm not afraid to tell you about. And I began by noting that while, as Dr Davenport pointed out, it took 100

00:13:26.099 - 00:13:53.520

and 91 years to get one woman on the court. I certainly hope it won't take 100 and 91 more years to get another because I want to be there when she's appointed. And I'm beginning to have my doubts despite my hard work at my exercise class,

00:13:53.530 - 00:14:15.820

whether I can make it for another 100 and 91 years, I wish I could share with all of you the innumerable experiences I've had throughout the country since my appointment which have shown me how much it does mean to women in this country to have a

00:14:15.830 - 00:14:39.109

woman on the Supreme Court. I I think the following letter which I received shortly after I was nominated, sums up how a great many women in this country reacted to President Reagan's decision to make the Supreme Court gender neutral. It read, I cannot begin to describe

00:14:39.119 - 00:15:02.150

with what delight I viewed the surprising headlines in Chicago's newspapers the day of your nomination. I actually stood there with my mouth hanging open and an idiotic grin on my face feeling overwhelmingly if euphoric and proud and what it affirms to this 27 year old female

00:15:02.650 - 00:15:26.159

is that uh people will find it increasingly difficult to deny and discourage opportunities for women. Now, some women even gave me advice about how to deal with my brethren. One woman wrote me. I'm so proud of you as a woman. The old Supreme Court will never

00:15:26.169 - 00:15:47.340

be the same with a lady among those men that should wake them up. A little. Don't let them push you around, done it. Now, while most of the mail was upbeat. There were a few exceptions. Here was one, Mrs John o'connor, care of the White House,

00:15:47.349 - 00:16:14.219

Washington DC. Dear Mrs o'connor. I am disgusted and disappointed that President Reagan has nominated a woman to the Supreme Court. A female justice engaging in routine matters would find herself asserting issues and arguing, contentions activities which more accurately become the Marxist related feminists rather than a

00:16:14.229 - 00:16:36.940

wife and a mother who respects the psychological components of a family in view of these matters. I hope you turn down President Reagan's nomination. That one, a copy was sent to the president, it said, but the one I I enjoyed the most was a postcard I

00:16:36.950 - 00:17:03.369

received which was addressed woman, judge elect o'connor, Washington DC. And it read back to your kitchen and home female. Yeah, this is a job for a man and ho only he can make the tough decisions, take care of your grandchildren and husband signed a senior citizen.

00:17:08.060 - 00:17:28.260

But actually, women have not been the only ones to express enthusiasm about having a woman on the court. Hundreds of men have also said to me that they think it's wonderful that there's a woman on the court that it's about time and that they are happy

00:17:28.270 - 00:17:54.079

for me and for women, but most of all happy for the country. And thank goodness for men because I'm indebted to two of them for my appointment. The President and Potter Stewart, uh Justice Stewart, uh had um, this little poem written about him. A toast to

00:17:54.089 - 00:18:17.199

Potter Stewart. His chivalry can't be beat the first Supreme Court justice to give a lady his seat. Mm. Now, I'm sure many of you would think. What else would you expect a Yale man to do? I've told you how happy I am that there's a woman

00:18:17.209 - 00:18:35.859

on the court and I want you to know also that I'm still uh after three years amazed that I am that woman I never dreamed in my wildest dreams that I would be asked to serve in that position even after I met the president. And after

00:18:35.869 - 00:18:58.280

he had selected me, I truly thought uh to have been considered for the court was a wonderful experience. And I expected to spend the rest of my life in Phoenix now, partially because I never dreamed that I would end up where I am. I had no

00:18:58.290 - 00:19:17.719

preconceived ideas about the job I was not admitted to practice before the Supreme Court. Uh The first argument I ever saw in that court was one I saw as a member of the court. However, my guess is that the same could be said of most of

00:19:17.729 - 00:19:38.229

the justices, at least until more recent years, all I knew was that the job would be a tremendous undertaking. But I had no specific ideas about the mechanics of being a justice or what the decision making process on the court was really like, I hoped that

00:19:38.239 - 00:19:56.760

I had the basic ability that was necessary and that I could develop the requisite skills to not only do the job but do it well enough that not only women but everyone in the country would think that the president had made a good choice. Now, one

00:19:56.770 - 00:20:19.530

of the earliest and most rewarding experiences and one which I didn't fully anticipate was the warmth and the kindness and the civility of my fellow justices. Every one of my eight colleagues has been very thoughtful and very considerate to me. I consider them all good friends

00:20:19.540 - 00:20:41.489

and I have the highest personal and professional respect for each of them. One surprise has been the sheer amount of the paperwork at the court. I sometimes feel that the Supreme Court is the economic backbone of the paper industry in America. Each year, there are approximately

00:20:41.500 - 00:21:02.760

5000 petitions filed with the court asking us to take jurisdiction over the case. Each of us uh considers each of these petitions. In addition, we have the 150 or so cases, we decide on the merits each term. In every one of those cases, we read at

00:21:02.770 - 00:21:28.560

least three briefs and usually many more. And lawyers briefs are not really briefs at all. They're longs but the fun has just begun after preliminary votes are taken. The opinion writing starts and then we find in our inboxes, uh, drafts of majority opinions, suggested changes in

00:21:28.569 - 00:21:51.290

parts of the opinions, dissenting opinions, concurring opinions and comments of all sorts. Finally, there's the paperwork that each justice generates in, in just going through the drafts that we prepare before sending out the first circulation to the court. Soldiers are often killed in action by a

00:21:51.300 - 00:22:09.500

bullet or a bomb. And I wouldn't be surprised to read someday that a justice was found dead in his or her chambers having suffocated when a stack of the current week's briefs and papers fell on the hapless justice at this point in the tape, would you

00:22:09.510 - 00:22:45.849

please stop the machine and turn the cassette over? Appreciate more and more. Why that doesn't happen to the extent that I thought it might, it doesn't happen primarily because we simply don't have the time to discuss each matter endlessly. Secondly, the justices are all skilled professionals.

00:22:47.329 - 00:23:06.760

The court soldiers are often killed in action by a bullet or a bomb. And I wouldn't be surprised to read someday that a justice was found dead in his or her chambers having suffocated when a stack of the current week's briefs and papers fell on the

00:23:06.770 - 00:23:28.780

hapless justice. Another surprise to me was that the oral dialogue between the justices is less than I had thought it would be. I think I always assumed there would be lengthier uh debates in the conference of the justices. But as time goes on I can appreciate

00:23:28.790 - 00:23:51.550

more and more why that doesn't happen to the extent that I thought it might, it doesn't happen primarily because we simply don't have the time to discuss each matter endlessly. Secondly, the justices are all skilled professionals. They know their craft. Well, generally they have a pretty

00:23:51.560 - 00:24:11.310

good idea what they want to do with each case. And they feel that if there's to be persuasion on a given case among their colleagues, it need not be and should not be in a form other than the circulated drafts of opinions. Finally, I want you

00:24:11.319 - 00:24:27.670

to know that one of the greatest joys of being a justice is the opportunity to work with our law clerks who are among the most talented and bright people in our country. I don't know what we would do without them because not only do they help

00:24:27.680 - 00:24:46.189

us immensely by doing exhaustive research, but during the course of the year when we get to know them so well, they become like part of our family and we develop a, a very deep affection for them. But despite what you may periodically read, the fact is

00:24:46.199 - 00:25:09.459

that only the justices get to vote now with that background. Uh I thought I would just share with you um how we would spend a typical day on the court when we're uh, having arguments. Uh, for instance, on a Wednesday during the court's regular term at

00:25:09.469 - 00:25:27.449

730 I go to the court. I leave for work and John and I have only one car in Washington so I drop John off uh, at either a place where he swims in the morning or at his office on my way to work. And after I

00:25:27.459 - 00:25:42.989

get to work, I attend a 40 minute exercise class. You thought that the highest court in the land was the one that you might visit when you go see an argument at the court. But it isn't that at all. It's the basketball court up on top

00:25:43.000 - 00:26:01.199

of the courtroom and it's there that, um, we have a few minutes in the morning set aside for, uh, an exercise class led by an instructor from the YWC A. And it's a great way to start the work day, especially when the rest of the day

00:26:01.209 - 00:26:22.479

is spent sitting down. It doesn't really solve the weight problem, but it certainly helps keep one, more mentally alert. And I've discovered that despite the powers and perquisites of high office, it's just as hard as it's ever been, if not harder to keep the extra pounds

00:26:22.489 - 00:26:44.520

off. Now, by 845 work begins in earnest with preparation of answers to the stack of letters which has come in from the day before most of the letters I get are requests to make speeches or sit on a moot court or attend some public event. And

00:26:44.530 - 00:27:07.260

I receive an average of at least 15 such uh requests a day. It's impossible to accept more than a handful of speaking engagements in a year because the required travel time, uh and sometimes the preparation time for speeches is just uh more than uh the time

00:27:07.270 - 00:27:30.780

that's actually available with the court's workload. And each day's mail also produces requests for donation of items for charity auctions and autograph requests and requests from students for information. All the things that you would expect by 930 I typically am again reviewing notes that I've made

00:27:30.790 - 00:27:50.760

in preparation for the day's are cases that are to be argued. The court hears four oral arguments a day uh on days of oral argument and each argument as in today's moot court typically lasts an hour and the cases we accept for argument are usually very

00:27:50.770 - 00:28:12.920

complex and very difficult. If they weren't, we wouldn't take them. They're likely to involve issues on which the lower courts have reached conflicting views. We spend hours preparing for hearing each argument in our court. We read the briefs submitted by the parties and the amicus briefs

00:28:12.930 - 00:28:33.839

submitted by others. And I also ask um a law clerk to do additional research on each argued case before the court. And I like to discuss the cases with my law clerks before the oral arguments. At 955 a bell rings in our chambers. It's just like

00:28:33.849 - 00:28:50.770

being at school. And when the bell rings, we proceed to the Robing room where we put on our robes. Uh I wear the same old robe I wore in Arizona and I intend to get a new 11 of these days, but I haven't gotten around to

00:28:50.780 - 00:29:10.030

it yet. We then go into the conference room which is behind the courtroom and adjacent to the chief justice's chambers. And it's there that we assemble each day before the oral arguments and it's there that we meet in conference when we discuss the cases. And each

00:29:10.040 - 00:29:31.020

time the justices gather in that conference room, whether it's to go on the bench or to discuss cases, each justice shakes the hands, uh shakes hands with every other justice. Now, that may seem like a strange custom to an outsider, but I think it's a splendid

00:29:31.030 - 00:29:52.939

one and it's symbolic of the desire that we all share to have a congenial and collegial atmosphere in order to proceed more easily with our work, which of necessity involves us in divergent views on specific issues. When all nine of us have assembled, we line up

00:29:52.949 - 00:30:13.030

an order of seniority. So you know who's bringing up the rear and led by the chief justice. We march into the courtroom at the stroke of 10 and we each stand behind our assigned chairs as the junior justice mine is at the far right as the

00:30:13.040 - 00:30:36.989

Spectators face the bench and the positions of the justices on the bench change moving inward with advancing seniority. And the marshal announces the court with a marvelous cry which most of you have heard and the gavel falls and we sit down and the chief justice typically

00:30:37.000 - 00:30:54.949

allows motions to be made for admission of new members to the bar of the Supreme Court. And then if we've completed work on any of our opinions, the justice who's authored the opinion will announce it and give a brief explanation of it. Years ago, the justices

00:30:54.959 - 00:31:18.209

used to read their opinions in their entirety from the bench, including the footnotes. I'm told sometimes that took days. Now, happily, we don't follow that custom any longer. Then the oral arguments begin with each side having half an hour. And as in today's moot court, typically,

00:31:18.599 - 00:31:37.319

uh an attorney will no more than start the argument when the attorney will be interrupted by a justice asking a question and the argument session is a time when the justices can explore the nature and extent of the lawyer's theory about the case and inquire about

00:31:37.329 - 00:32:02.020

any matters which appear unclear. It can be a very interesting and stimulating exchange. The quality of the arguments varies considerably. Some are absolutely wonderful and others are ones that we wish could be a bit better. I think that, uh, as I mentioned today at the moot

00:32:02.030 - 00:32:22.510

court, probably most cases are not won or lost on the basis of the oral arguments. We have the briefs and they are much more complete in setting forth the principles that are being espoused than uh the arguments. But once in a while I've seen a lawyer

00:32:22.800 - 00:32:43.479

uh lose a case, uh by virtue of concessions made in oral argument or having exposed some weakness in the case that hadn't been perceived before. Now, promptly at noon, the court recesses and we have time for a bit of lunch for an hour. Some of the

00:32:43.489 - 00:33:02.589

justices enjoy having lunch together in an upstairs dining room. And I often do that. There's a Supreme Court cafeteria which some of you may have visited and they send up soup or a salad and we don't linger up there beyond 20 minutes or so. And then

00:33:02.599 - 00:33:23.189

I go back to my desk and check the mail that's come in and circulations during the morning. It's customary, uh, that the justices actually write to each other about every single thing that comes around. We don't pick up the phone, we don't walk down the hall,

00:33:23.199 - 00:33:45.189

we write letters and we have a written record in that fashion. Certainly of the position taken on everything. At 1255 the bell rings again and we go back for the one o'clock argument session. I typically take notes during oral arguments. And I also enjoy looking at

00:33:45.199 - 00:34:01.969

the record of admission of each attorney who's arguing. Uh, they make a written application to the bar and we know, uh, when they were born and where, and, uh, we know where they went to law school and where they've been practicing. And I like to look

00:34:01.979 - 00:34:20.739

at that sheet as the attorney is arguing and get a little of the background. At three o'clock, we rise from the bench and the chief justice tells us to assemble in the conference room in 10 minutes and we barely have time to get to our offices

00:34:20.750 - 00:34:42.060

and uh dispense with the robes. And then we go back to conference. When we meet in conference, there is no staff person present. And once again, each of us has an assigned seat around the table. And because the junior justice uh has among other duties, uh

00:34:42.070 - 00:35:01.888

the obligation to answer the door to the conference room. If there are any messages during our conference, my chair is next to the door and or at least closest uh at that end of the table, it's also my job as Junior justice to keep accurate records

00:35:01.898 - 00:35:22.540

so that I can meet with the clerk of the court after our conferences in order to prepare the court's order lists for when they are released to the public, only the nine justices are present during these conferences. And each case that's been argued is discussed uh

00:35:22.550 - 00:35:50.510

going around the table in turn. Um Each justice expresses uh that justice's view of how they think the case should be resolved and why. And based on that discussion. And we typically take brief notes ourselves of that discussion. A writing assignment is then made. And uh

00:35:50.800 - 00:36:09.969

if the chief justice is in the majority on that particular case, then the chief justice assigns the job of writing the majority opinion to one of the members of the court and the majority on that case. And if he's not, then the assignment function goes to

00:36:09.979 - 00:36:35.679

the most senior justice on that particular case. Um The conferences on Wednesday usually last um till around five o'clock and I then go back to my chambers again and work until seven or 730. Uh reading things uh again in preparation for the balance of the week.

00:36:36.570 - 00:37:02.699

Um When we work on opinions at the court, I think each justice takes enormous care with each and every uh sentence, paragraph, word, phrase or expression. Uh They are gone over by each of us with great care and often we will make suggestions to each other,

00:37:02.709 - 00:37:26.310

requesting changes in this or that on a particular opinion. And eventually all the justices have signed something, whether it's the majority or a dissent or a concurrence. And at that point, the opinion is ready to be announced uh when I'm ready to go home at the

00:37:26.320 - 00:37:45.360

end of the day, at seven or 730 I call John at his office and go by and pick him up and I gather up any uh petitions for certiorari or briefs or other matters that I'm still reading and I take those with me at night and,

00:37:45.370 - 00:38:07.239

uh, we either fix a quick supper at home or occasionally, uh, we attend a party or a special event which, uh, Washington has plenty of, if you have the stamina for it, um, we usually, uh, are ready to go to sleep by 1030 or 11 and

00:38:07.250 - 00:38:26.370

I love to spend a little time each night reading a book about something other than the law if there's a chance and then it's light, lights out until morning. So as you can see, um I don't lack for something to do. And in addition to the

00:38:26.379 - 00:38:46.100

long hours uh spent working at the court, I do also spend a lot of time at home reading. Uh We work at the court on Saturdays and I try to do any work that I have on Sunday at home. I also try to get outside for

00:38:46.110 - 00:39:06.120

at least part of every Sunday because I spend so much time indoors. I really love to get outside when I can. I'm a very fortunate person. I feel extremely privileged to serve on the court and while the hours are long and while the problems are complex,

00:39:06.649 - 00:39:26.800

it's a fascinating experience and a very great privilege to be able to serve my country as a member of its highest court to help to preserve our system of justice and to try to make it work, to appreciate the high degree of personal freedom and security

00:39:26.810 - 00:39:47.469

we have in this country. One only needs to travel abroad in some other parts of the world and discover that with all our faults and all our limitations. We are fortunate indeed to live in this country under a rule of law and the importance of our

00:39:47.479 - 00:40:11.750

judicial branch to all of us. And the crucial need for an independent judiciary was never better expressed than by the court's most famous chief justice in the past, John Marshall who said the judicial department comes home and its effects to every man's fireside, it passes on

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his property, his reputation, his life, his all. Is it not to the last degree important that he should be rendered perfectly and completely independent with nothing to influence or control him but God and his conscience, thank you for letting me share this wonderful day with you

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at Pepperdine. I enjoyed it.