SENIOR JUDGE v. << (2022)

The Court convened in ceremonial session at 2:00 p.m.

CHIEF JUDGE OHLSON: Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to this ceremonial session of the Court. Today is a special day for all of us here, as we gather to celebrate both the portrait unveiling of our friend and colleague Senior Judge Meg Ryan and the investiture of our friend and colleague Judge Liam Hardy. Or, as I like to refer to it, our “buy one, get one free” ceremony.

We are delighted to have all of you here today. We are especially honored to have in our presence Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Amy Coney Barrett. It is a real pleasure to have both of you here today, so thank you both so much for coming. Unfortunately, due to compelling reasons, our colleague Judge Sparks is unable to be here today. He sends his sincere regrets. In his absence, however, Judge Maggs and I are privileged to have Justice Thomas and Judge Dave Sentelle present with us on the bench. And I would note that, even with the ascension of Judge Hardy to the bench, we do still have a vacancy on this Court. So, Justice Thomas, if you ever get tired of your day job we would love to have you moonlight with us here.

We have many distinguished guests with us here today in our audience—in addition to Justice Barrett and her husband, Mr. Jesse Barrett. Indeed, we have too many people to mention individually by name. Suffice it to say that we have senior judges and spouses from our own Court, active and senior judges from the Article III courts, judges from our sister Article I courts, members and former members of the Executive branch at the highest levels, and high-ranking officials from the military, both uniformed and civilian, such as General Risch and Mr. Dwight Sullivan. And I'm especially pleased to welcome so many of Judge Ryan and Judge Hardy's friends and family members. I know that you have all come from near and far, and I can tell you that your presence here today makes this ceremony especially important to both Meg and to Liam. I want to extend a special welcome to Judge Hardy's wife, Jennifer, and to their children, Grace, Luke, and Sarah. Now I know how to use the word “adorable” in a sentence. I would also like to especially welcome Meg's husband, Michael Collins. Just for the record, I think you are pretty adorable too. I didn't want you to feel left out there.

At this time, we would like to invite the Reverend Christopher Esget, the senior pastor of Immanuel Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Alexandria, to come forth to give remarks and the invocation.

THE REVEREND ESGET: The Honorable Liam Hardy is indeed an honorable man, and a devoted husband and father. He is also deeply devoted to the mission of this Court; to balance the needs of the military with an impartial application of the constitutional protections to those who appear before this bench. He gave me a certain liberty to give a few remarks prior to our prayer of invocation. As a Lutheran, I would like to briefly reflect on the nature and source of law through the lens of a Reformation controversy. The Reformation of the sixteenth century, and I am sure Justice Thomas will agree, is not without its share of scoundrels and miscreants. The worst kinds of scoundrels are scholars, particularly theologians. Reform corrupted provokes revolt. So it was with the antinomians—those opposed to the law. Gospel detached from law becomes permissiveness, then anarchy. Particular laws are made by men, but natural law—the law written in stone as well on human hearts—becomes the foundation for the laws with which we keep order in our society and among those who bear arms. In the First Antinomian Disputation, the reformer Martin Luther said this law—the law written on stone and in our hearts—is eternal. The Decalogue, which is to say the Ten Commandments, is written in the hearts and minds of all, and will remain with us even in the coming life. By this he means the Kingdom of God after our death and the coming resurrection. Even baptism will not remain, but only the Decalogue is eternal because the coming life will be like what the Decalogue has been demanding here. Only the Decalogue is eternal. God's law shows us the nature of God and the intended structure of the world he made. That law is eternal. So, you do more, Liam, than adjudicate the details of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for those who appear before this bench. You stand in the breach defending eternal truth from the barbarians who would bash it to bits. A judge, whether he realizes it or not, is in a divine office. He stands in the place of God by exercising the sword in punishing or acquitting. When Solomon became monarch over Israel, he saw his chief task as judicial. This was his prayer: “Give to your servant an understanding heart to judge your people that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this great people of yours?” This is what I ask God for you today, Liam. That you be given an understanding heart to discern between good and evil and apply the even scales of justice. That work has temporal and eternal effect. Let us pray. Almighty God, ancient of days, before whom all deeds are known and all secrets revealed. You have called your servant, Liam, to sit in judgment over the armed forces of this land. Send down your Holy Spirit on him—the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, and the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord—and make him unwavering in duty. Show him the way of escape in the hour of temptation and deliver him from the evil one. Impute to him the righteousness of your son—Jesus, our Lord—that he who judges others might be justified. Protect him, Jennifer, Grace, Luke, and Sarah from every danger, and be to them a mighty fortress. For you live and reign with your son and the Holy Spirit. One God, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

CHIEF JUDGE OHLSON: Reverend Esget, thank you very much for those personal remarks. At this time, I would like to introduce our first speaker. Ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor and privilege to recognize Justice Clarence Thomas.

JUSTICE THOMAS: Thank you, Mister Chief Judge. Chief Judge Ohlson, my dear friend Judge Sentelle, Judge Maggs, Justice Barrett, wonderful guests, members of my clerk family, members of the bar and bench thank you all for being here. It is truly an honor to be among the dedicated judges, lawyers, and staff of the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Like our military soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines, each of you honorably serves our country by promoting a disciplined and justly governed military force; ready to defend our nation and meet any emergency. Each of you deserves our debt of gratitude and our thanks, and I offer you that for your service. Over the years, I have been privileged to travel to courthouses across the country to celebrate my former clerks as they don the judge's robe. Today is unique for me, however, as I get to celebrate both the decades of exceptional service of my former law clerk, Judge Meg Ryan, who does not like public events, and the investiture of another of my former law clerks, Judge Liam Hardy, as her successor. I am more than doubly proud.

By now I am sure you all know Meg well, and anyone who knows her knows that she is a genuine patriot and a prodigious worker. After attending Knox College in her native Illinois, Meg could have picked the smooth path to a successful career in any field she desired. Yet she eschewed the easy way and instead chose to become an officer in the United States Marine Corps. The Marines have a well-deserved reputation for putting their officer candidates through a most rigorous ordeal, some would call it hell, before deeming them worthy enough to hold a commission in the Corps. Yet, Meg surmounted every physical, mental, and emotional challenge that Marine gunnery sergeants and officers threw her way. She earned the right not just to be one of the few and the proud, but to lead the few and the very proud. And she led with distinction. As a communications officer, she commanded Marine platoons and companies overseas. In the Philippines, she helped to protect U.S. assets and support an allied government that quashed an unsuccessful coup attempt. And, in Saudi Arabia, she joined U.S. and Allied Forces in their successful effort to drive Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard from Kuwait during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Meg then set her sights on a career in the law. To the surprise of no one who knew her, she graduated first in her class at Notre Dame Law School. She returned to the Marine Corps as a Judge Advocate and again served overseas, this time in Okinawa. Eventually, General Charles Krulak, the commandant of the Marine Corps, handpicked her to serve as his aide-de-camp. Marine Corps leaders can obviously recognize and groom talent when they see it. Incidentally, it was General Krulak who first introduced me to Meg—while she served in her capacity as aide-de-camp. Although Meg eventually left the Marines, she continued to serve her country. After clerking on the Fourth Circuit, she joined me for the October term 2001. It was a tough year. As we prepared to begin the term, the 9/11 attacks occurred. At a time when the world was in an uproar and all worried whether another strike was just over the horizon—possibly aimed at the very Court in which we worked—Meg remained focused on her duties and usually arrived to work at 5:00 am. After a four-year detour to private practice, Meg again answered the call to service when President George W. Bush nominated her to this Court. She was among my first clerks to join the bench. I had very high expectations for her when she did so, and I can now say that she has met and exceeded those expectations—as I knew she would. Over the last sixteen years, Meg has lived the highest ideals of judicial honesty, integrity, and professionalism. In case after case, she has done her best to ensure the just administration of military law among the service men and women alongside whom she once served. Meg, the portrait that this Court will present today commemorates your years of service on this Court and to a grateful nation. But, knowing you as I do, I seriously doubt you are done serving. Whether as a senior judge or a call to duty elsewhere, I suspect you will continue to answer the call to serve. I am deeply, deeply grateful for your many years of service and all you have done for our country and to preserve liberty.

Of course, as Judge Ryan leaves her act of service on this Court, Judge Liam Hardy begins his. Liam, you have very big shoes to fill. Fortunately, I cannot imagine a better successor to Meg. Liam too has dedicated much of his professional career to answering the call to service. Like Meg, Liam did not start his professional career as a lawyer. Instead, he was an aerospace engineer whose work included projects supporting the U.S. Army research efforts. After earning his law degree from Georgetown, Liam continued to seek out opportunities to serve, and he found a great one clerking for none other than Judge Meg Ryan—here at this Court. As Meg will tell you, Liam was an exceptional law clerk for her, and I am sure Judge Dave Sentelle, for whom he also clerked, will tell you the same. After being well trained by both Meg and Dave, Liam eventually found his way to my chambers. Like Meg before him, Liam proved to be a superb law clerk. He was with me during a contentious term in which the Court heard cases implicating the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, mandatory life sentences for minors, and the Stolen Valor Act—among many other important issues. Having clerked for two outstanding judges before me, Liam was more than ready for the challenge. He was always cheerful, reliable, and willing to learn. When he told his co-clerks or me that something would get done, it would get done. And when he told his family that he would be home for dinner, he would be home for dinner. Liam also had boundless energy and work ethic. In fact, I am told that almost every day of the term Liam would wake early, go on a five mile run, and still arrive at work by 8:00 am. He would then leave at 5:30 pm to spend time with his family, including his wonderful wife Jen who also clerked for me during the term October 2005. Afterwards, he would drive back to the Court to work until late into the evening. Liam's co-clerks and I were astounded that anyone could consistently meet such professional and personal obligations, day in, day out, without ever losing his positive demeanor and disposition. Throughout, Liam proved himself an excellent colleague and a wonderful friend. To take just one small example, one of his co-clerks was in Washington away from family during Thanksgiving of their term. Liam went out of his way to provide that colleague the Thanksgiving fixings, so that he too could celebrate Thanksgiving. Liam is just that kind of person. In short, he exemplifies the virtues that any judge or justice hopes to find in his clerks or in a friend. Like Meg, Liam's service did not end with our term together. During President Trump's administration, he joined the Office of Legal Counsel as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General where he helped the Department of Justice untangle some of the knottiest legal issues of the day. And now, he continues serving his country as a member of this Court. Liam, I am beyond delighted to welcome you to the community of judges, and I am particularly happy that a man of your ability, your character, and your integrity will sit on this Court.

The United States military is rightly known as the most effective fighting force the world has ever known. That success is possible thanks in large part to the good order and discipline that our troops exhibit, and order and discipline exist only where military laws and regulations are enforced rigorously, impartially, and fairly. As a judge on this Court, you take your place among those tasked with maintaining that good order and discipline. You will do so by upholding the rights of those who serve, holding the guilty to account, and checking the excesses of those in authority. It is not an easy job. Like every judge, you will have to draw upon your deep reserves of discipline and courage to defend the rule of law—even when it is difficult and unpopular. Having been privileged to work with you for a year and to have known you for many years before and since, I know that you will continue to ably and justly execute the duty to which you have been called. I am immensely proud of both of my former clerks—my kids as I like to call them. Judge Meg Ryan will be long remembered for her devoted service to our country, as she should, both on this Court and elsewhere. Judge Liam Hardy, to whom she passes the torch, will carry on that legacy and do his very best for those who deserve only the very best. I am equally proud of my country for its wisdom in choosing you both to serve on this very important Court. So, congratulations to Judge Ryan and Judge Hardy. And may God bless each of you, your families, our men and women in the military, and our wonderful country. I wish you all the best as life proceeds. Thank you.

CHIEF JUDGE OHLSON: Thank you, Justice Thomas, for those heartwarming remarks. I now would like to recognize our second speaker, Judge David Sentelle.

JUDGE SENTELLE: Before I begin speaking about Judge Hardy, I feel compelled to say a few words about my dear friend, Judge Meg Ryan. Despite once scheduling Meg for an interview, I was deprived of the opportunity to hire Meg as one of my law clerks when another judge beat me to the punch. I did, however, have the pleasure and honor of sitting on this Court with her. I sat on this Court by designation both before she came and while she was here. I can say that she has been an excellent colleague and an excellent judge. Thank you, Meg, for your many years of dedicated service.

But my purpose here today is to speak about my former law clerk, Liam Hardy. Liam had all of the great characteristics that we look for in law clerks. The first thing we have is a resume. We can determine if the applicant has academic excellence; the kind of intelligence and academic ability to discern the law in the complicated circumstances that the court must face.

In reviewing his resume, I learned of his academic excellence at Georgetown Law School, to which Justice Thomas alluded. I was convinced that he was someone who could handle the difficult questions of law that we face. That ability—to grapple with difficult questions of law—is equally necessary to be a good judge. A good law clerk will be a good judge.

Liam excelled not only in his legal studies, but in his prior studies and career in the difficult subspecialty of aerospace engineering. My daughter, who is also an engineer, would tell you that his field of engineering is extremely rigorous, and that you know if someone has excelled in it, then they are first rate. My daughter often says that engineers are not the same as scientists because scientists know things, and engineers do things. This perfectly describes Liam, who not only has the knowledge necessary to succeed as a judge, but the ability to apply that knowledge.

That brings me to another characteristic that I seek in law clerks. And that is some evidence that they are not just learned in the way of law, but they are also learned in the way of the Renaissance and have a broad knowledge, because you never know what is going to be relevant or important to litigation. It is helpful to have law clerks who possess that broad knowledge so that they can assist with issues that could arise outside of the legal part of the record. With the credentials that Liam has, he isn't just well equipped in that regard; he is a regular polymath. He is a Benjamin Franklin. He is learned in fields across the board. And again, not only do law clerks excel when they demonstrate that trait, but that is necessary for judges also. So, again, a good law clerk will be a good judge.

There are other things about the clerkship applicant that you cannot learn from the resume, so you cross your fingers and learn these things by first meeting, then hiring, and then working with the law clerk. First thing being the ability to work with others and to have a regard for others. Liam worked with his co-clerks and with the court staff with ease and comfort. He was so popular with my permanent staff that my secretary is here today because she wanted to be along to honor Liam also. I think everyone who worked with him knows the same thing—he is worthy of honor. And again, the judge who is not too aloof to share the confidence and the problems of the nonlegal staff in the courthouse is a better judge—a better law clerk makes a better judge. Justice Thomas is known for his good friendship with the professional and subprofessional staff of the Supreme Court, and Liam is the same kind of person as his mentor, Justice Thomas. He regards all people as being worthwhile—a good law clerk will be a good judge.

We also want a clerk who will work hard. Justice Thomas has already told you about the work ethic and the habits of this good man who is about to be, and already is, of value to your Court. Someone who not only carries his load but carries it exceptionally well and willingly. And then there is the characteristic that you only learn by a long, or at least reasonably long, exposure to someone. That is the humility that Liam evidences. A law clerk needs to be humble enough to know that he has his opinion, he has done his best, and if somebody else has a different opinion, then that differing opinion is something he should listen to before he sets his into stone. Liam evidenced that kind of humility as a clerk, and he will as a colleague on your bench.

And there is finally the characteristic of just pure friendliness. There are some people you meet in life that you think back on and you think: “He certainly was a nice person.” And you would be hard put to say sometimes, “Well what particular thing was nice?” And you say, “Everything, he was just a nice person.” Liam is just a nice person. You, who are going to work with him, or are already working with him as judges, know that he is the sort of person who can sit down with you at a table and humbly accept your thoughts, and weigh them properly, and, at the same time, be your friend. And if you need something, or even want something, he will go out of his way to see if he can do something to accommodate you. As the pastor said earlier, he is a man of spirit. He is a spiritual man who knows the place of humans in the universe. So, I would say to Liam and to this Court, God bless Liam Hardy, the United States, and this honorable Court. Thank you for the chance to be with you.

CHIEF JUDGE OHLSON: Thank you very much, Judge Sentelle, for those wonderful comments. At this time I now invite Judge Hardy to the podium to provide his response.

JUDGE LIAM HARDY: Good afternoon, everyone. I am a little speechless right now. I had told Jennifer that I might wing this, and she said—because she is smarter than I am—“No, you are going to write this down.” And I am glad she did because I don't really know what I'd say right now. So, I'm just going to read what I have written down here.

First of all, I want to express how deeply moved and grateful I am to all of you for coming today. One thing I have learned is that no matter how successful, or wealthy, or prominent, or powerful a person becomes, the one thing that no one has enough of is time. So it is incredibly humbling to me that all of you would take the time out of your busy schedules to be here. It means a tremendous amount to me personally, but I'm even more grateful for the honor that your presence bestows upon this Court and, more importantly, on the men and women of the armed forces whom we serve. Second, I cannot express how honored and excited I am to join the Court. As the officers who protect this courthouse will attest, I come bounding up the stairs from the garage each morning with a big smile on my face because I am thrilled to be here. I love coming to work every day in this beautiful building, with my wonderful colleagues, doing the important and meaningful work that we do. It has been suggested to me—by someone who is far smarter and wiser than I am—that this is the best job in Washington, and it may be. At the very least, I know that it is the best job for me.

But I didn't get here on my own. What is the most amazing about today, to me, is that collected here in one room are so many of the people who made this possible. And I mean that in two ways. First, in the very specific sense that there are so many people here who are directly responsible for my nomination and confirmation. So, to the folks from DOD who recommended me to the White House, and to the people in the White House Counsel's office who recommended me to the President, and to all the people from both of those offices who shepherded my nomination through the Senate, and finally to all of you who answered a call from an FBI agent, or answered a call from a person doing a background check, or who picked up the phone and made a call on my behalf, or even just made a casual comment to someone—thank you. I would not be here but for all of those things. I know that I will never fully understand or even appreciate how much goes on behind the scenes of the nomination process, but please know how much I appreciate what you all did and the trust and the faith that you have placed in me. But beyond just the mechanics of my nomination, I am so very grateful to all of you in a much broader sense, because to whatever extent I am indeed competent to do this job, it is because of the time and the energy that you have invested in me.

So, if you will indulge me, let me start at the beginning. Mom and Dad, we've come a long way from reading books, building LEGOS, going to swim practice, and doing homework at the kitchen table. Thank you for all of those things, and for countless things since. Jennifer, for nearly two decades, you have stood with me on every step of this journey. When I said I wanted to quit my job and go to law school you didn't even bat an eye. You just said, “Okay.” Your support of me and our family has never wavered. You have always been, and will always be, an inspiration to me. Thank you.

Judge Ryan, I graduated from law school on a sunny, Sunday afternoon, and I reported to work as a clerk in this building at seven o'clock sharp the next morning—once a Marine always a Marine. So, literally from day one of my legal career you have been there. You made me promise that I wouldn't talk about you very much, and I've done pretty well so far following your advice and doing what I‘m told. But just let me say, first as my boss, then as my mentor, and now as my friend, you have instructed me, and coached me, and pushed me, and challenged me to be the very best lawyer that I can be. I am so honored that the President picked me to take your seat on the bench. As Justice Thomas said, those are very big shoes to fill, but I promise I will do my very best to make you proud. Thank you.

Judge Sentelle and Justice Thomas, what Judge Ryan began, you both continued. Thank you for the amazing opportunities you gave me to serve in your chambers. Thank you for the mentoring and the support and for being such amazing role models. You are my heroes, and I can only hope that my service on the bench will live up to the extraordinary examples that you have set. I would also like to say to my colleagues from Kirkland, thank you for the opportunity to learn from the very best advocates in the business. After my three delightful years working for judges, and being impartial and fair, you taught me how to argue, and how to persuade, and how to fight, and how to win. You accepted me as a partner, and then you taught me how to lead, and to mentor, and to manage. So, to the extent my clerks have complaints, you know who to talk to. And finally, to all of my colleagues in the Office of Legal Counsel, you epitomize excellence. Excellence in research, excellence in writing, and excellence in judgment. I loved every minute I spent at OLC, in part, because every minute I spent there, working with you, made me a better lawyer. Thank you.

In conclusion, let me just say how grateful I am to all of you. Of course, the President and the Senate get the ultimate credit, or blame depending on your perspective, for me being here, but I know that I would have never been on their radar without all of your support, your guidance, and your friendship. So thank you.

CHIEF JUDGE OHLSON: Thank you, Judge Hardy. At this time I would like to recognize Judge Margaret A. Ryan for her response.

JUDGE RYAN: I would like to echo Judge Hardy's comments about how much I appreciate that you all took the time to come to this event. I am honored to have so many friends and former clerks here today. Many of you traveled long distances to be here, and that means so much to me. I know that Judge Hardy and the Court are equally honored by your presence.

As I was preparing for today, I wondered “Why do they do portrait hangings?” I tried Googling it, which led first to a delightful story about a Winston Churchill portrait that the prime minister found less than flattering. Unfortunately, Judge Stucky already told that story at his portrait hanging here last year, so I couldn't use that. Turning to my own experiences, I recalled an occasion from Naval Justice School where I thought I was making a really clever argument incorporating The Picture of Dorian Gray. That did not go as planned. Apparently there were no other fans of nineteenth-century philosophical novels by Oscar Wilde there, because no one had any idea what I was talking about. So, I kept researching, and the internet provided another source that says that courts hang former judges’ portraits on the wall to honor their service. I have no interest in celebrating my own service. I even asked my former personal assistant Patrice Bolton—who was indispensable in planning today's event—if my portrait could be hung in the middle of the night. Patrice said no.

Regardless of my reservations about the portrait-hanging portion of today's ceremony, I am thrilled to have this opportunity to celebrate the Court, my very great colleagues that I've had over the years, my wonderful clerks, my family, and the amazing mentors who guided me though my career. I am honored by the presence of all of you, but especially of my family who traveled long distances and my sister-in-law who just had major surgery and nonetheless found a way to be here.

I need to quickly tell the story of how Liam came to clerk for me. If you know Jen Hardy, I'm sure you know who the boss is in their family. It's Jen. I knew Jen long before I ever met Liam, so I knew through her that Liam was graduating from Georgetown. At that time, I had not received clerk applications that were satisfactory to me, so, I called Jen, and I said, “Jen, you have a really smart husband, right? Is it okay if I call and ask him if he wants to come and clerk for me?” Because we had known each other for many years, I had to run it by Jen. The rest was history, which brings us to today.

I promised Liam that I would not talk much about him either. But what I would like to say is how proud I am to be replaced on the Court by one of my dearest friends. The whole Hardy family is among our closest friends. Liam is a fine American, he is a brilliant attorney, and he is a great friend and family man. The Justice's story about Liam going home to eat dinner with his family and then returning to work rings so true. Liam and I have taught together for the last four years. I always arrive on campus early, so that I can get together and socialize with our students. I encourage Liam to do the same, but he wants to be with his family. So he spends as much time with them as he can and then arrives on campus at about 1:30 a.m. to teach first thing in the morning. I think the Court is very fortunate to have his service.

Thank you to my family, to my friends, to all of you who have mentored me. It has been a tremendous honor to serve the men and women of our great armed forces.

CHIEF JUDGE OHLSON: Thank you, Judge Ryan. At this time, I ask Justice Thomas and Judge Hardy's family to step forward into the well of the Court for the robing ceremony. Judge Hardy, could you please don your robe.

[Judge Hardy is robed.]

CHIEF JUDGE OHLSON: Justice Thomas, would you please do the honor of administering the oath of office.

[Justice Thomas administers the judicial and constitutional oaths.]

CHIEF JUDGE OHLSON: Judge Hardy, at this time your colleagues at the Court are delighted to have you formally as a member. Please, join us.

Justice Thomas, if you would please, we are going to do the portrait unveiling now. Michael, if you would be willing to, please join Justice Thomas at the portrait.

Justice Thomas and Michael, would you please unveil the portrait of Senior Judge Margaret A. Ryan.

[Portrait is unveiled to applause.]

CHIEF JUDGE OHLSON: I think we are all agreed that that is a wonderful and dignified portrait of Judge Ryan, and it will be hanging over there on the wall probably by tomorrow. We hope that you all will come to see it in its proper location as we go forward.

In making final remarks this afternoon, I would like to join Justice Thomas and Judge Sentelle in saluting Judge Ryan and Judge Hardy for their service not only to this Court but also to this nation. And although we did not collude in any way, I think you will see that in the remarks I am about to make about each of them, there are certainly points and areas of symmetry.

Now, as Judge Ryan was nearing the end of her service here on the bench, I was very lucky to have the opportunity to work very closely with her on a highly complex, and indeed controversial, case. And that process proved very beneficial to me. At the end of that process, I quoted for Judge Ryan from Scripture. I said to her that Proverbs informs us that “[a]s iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” And make no mistake about it, during her fourteen years on this bench, Meg Ryan has served as the iron that made all of us judges even sharper. Judge Ryan consistently and appropriately challenged us on all points of the law. And in her own reasoning and in her own opinions, Judge Ryan unfailingly applied her keen intellect, unerringly displayed her dedication to principle, and unswervingly demonstrated her devotion to the rule of law. These traits and Judge Ryan's perpetual quest for excellence will come as no surprise to anyone who knows her. Following the dictum that past is prologue, let us review her trajectory in life. She did not just grow up anywhere; she grew up in the heartland of America. When she decided to join the service, she didn't just join any branch; she joined the United States Marine Corps. When she decided to study the law, it wasn't just at any location, she went to the premier University of Notre Dame Law School. And she didn't just perform well in law school, she graduated number one in her class. When she went on active duty, she didn't accept just any billet, she became aide-de-camp to the commandant of the Marine Corps. And it wasn't just any commandant, it was the legendary General Krulak. When she chose to leave the military and join the civilian legal world, she served as law clerk at the Fourth Circuit, and then at the Supreme Court. And she didn't just clerk for anyone, she clerked for the renowned Justice Thomas. And importantly, certainly from her perspective, when she decided to get dogs; she didn't get just any mutts. As we all know, she got her beloved, prize-winning Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers. You know looking at all of this, it makes me think that, based on her record, when it came time to get married, Michael is lucky that Meg didn't set her sights on George Clooney.

Now, as a senior judge, Meg doesn't just engage in normal retirement activities; she teaches at Harvard Law School and at Notre Dame Law School. From these life experiences, you can see how Judge Ryan's devotion to principles and justice was forged in the fires of the military, academia, and the law. For fourteen years, we on this Court were truly fortunate to have someone of her caliber serve as the iron upon which all of us sharpened our legal skills. So, thank you, Meg. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors, and we will remain ever grateful for your service on this Court.

We now turn to Judge Hardy. I can't begin to tell you what a delight it is to have him as the twenty-fifth judge of this Court. You know, when Judge Hardy was first nominated to the Court, I found out that he has young children, and I thought to myself: “So, he's used to dealing with temper tantrums, unreasonable demands, and lots of pouting if they don't get the way. What perfect training for this Court.”

Now, I'd have to say to you it actually is a little bit tricky lionizing someone who is only starting to join the bench. After all, if I say today that Judge Hardy consistently demonstrates impeccable, unerring, and irrefutable legal judgment, how can I possibly say in the future when writing a dissent to his majority opinion, “I have never seen so much poppycock and balderdash in all my life.”

But what I can attest to, without fear of refutation or regret, is that Judge Hardy is a genuinely and remarkably nice person. That trait is most evident in his dealings with his law clerks. He always has an open door and an open mind when it comes to his clerks. He relishes mentoring them in their apprenticeship roles, and he always does so with flair and good humor. It also is evident in the fact that in his professional bio he places upfront the fact that he is an adjunct professor at Notre Dame and a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School. Teaching young people, molding their views on the law, and serving as a role model is a calling for Judge Hardy, and one that he fulfills in an exemplary fashion. In large measure, that is because he brings to the law, and to judging, an amazing intellectual curiosity and an abiding commitment to principle. To say that Judge Hardy exhibits exceptional promise as a jurist is a gross understatement. During his relatively short time on this Court, he already has set the standard for integrity, dedication, and collegiality. Rest assured, through his legal prowess, Judge Hardy will leave his distinguished mark on the military justice system for many, many years to come. So, Judge Hardy, on behalf of the other judges of this Court, I just wanted to say that we are proud to call you our colleague.

Ladies and gentlemen, that now concludes today's ceremonial session. On behalf of the Court, I would like to extend our deepest appreciation to each and every one of you for joining us here today. I'd also like to thank the following people who made this ceremony possible: Patrice Bolton, Peter Craig, Joe Lusk, Scott Williams, Ed Rives, Mac Squires, Ellen Rambo-Wilson, Kelly Walker, and the outstanding men and women of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency. I hope you will now join us for a reception in the grand foyer.

The Court stands adjourned until further order of this Court.

The Court adjourned at X:XX p.m.