I can still remember the day, as an assistant U.S. attorney, when I stood up in court for the first time and I proudly said, "My name is Samuel Alito and I represent the United States in this court." It was a great honor for me to have the United States as my client during all of those years.

This was a time of great intellectual excitement for me. Both college and law school opened up new worlds of ideas.

Private religious speech can't be discriminated against. It has to be treated equally with secular speech.

I have been committed to carrying out my duties... in accordance with both the letter and spirit of all applicable rules of ethics and canons of conduct.

Many people have been positive influences in my life. My parents, whom I mentioned, were the most important, but many of my teachers were also a big help to me.

Part of me wanted to get a graduate degree in political science. Had I done that, I suppose I would have become a college professor.

A judge can't have any preferred outcome in any particular case. The judge's only obligation - and it's a solemn obligation - is to the rule of law.