Two ideologically opposite justices promoting civility

WASHINGTON — With the Supreme Court’s approval hovering near record lows, two justices have teamed up to promote the art of disagreeing without being nasty about it.

In joint appearances less than three weeks apart, Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Sonia Sotomayor, ideological opposites, said the need for civil debate has never been greater than it is in these polarized times. And they said the Supreme Court, where voices don’t get raised in anger, can be a model for the rest of the country.

“I don’t think any of us has a ‘my way or the highway’ attitude,” Barrett said. She spoke Tuesday at a conference of civics educators in Washington.

Sotomayor, speaking at a meeting of the nation’s governors in late February, said the justices’ pens can be sharp but also deft in writing opinions.

“There are so many, many things that you can do to bring the temperature down and to have you functioning together as a group to getting something done that has a benefit in the law,” she said.

At 52, Barrett is the youngest member of the court. She was appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2020. Sotomayor, 69, has been on the court since 2009, appointed by former President Barack Obama.

Barrett and Sotomayor acknowledge they see things differently but instead focus on their determination to disagree civilly. Sotomayor serves on the governing board of icivics, an education nonprofit started by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’connor.

“We do not interrupt one another, and we never raise voices,” Barrett said at the civics conference, describing the justices’ private meetings at which they talk about the cases they’ve just heard.