Justice Clarence Thomas Criticizes Left-Leaning Law Schools

U.S. Supreme Court Justice and resident constitutional stalwart Clarence Thomas' recent Nebraska trip served up some insight into his legal jurisprudence. And his view toward elite, Old Guard law schools.

Justice Thomas spent about 90 minutes last Thursday speaking to an enraptured crowd of students and faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Law School.

Thomas' Nebraska trip included some gushy words about his travels in the Midwest. Well, that and criticism that many elite law schools lean too much to the "left." 

Turns out he doesn't consider himself an originalist. Indeed, he flat out rejected suggestions that he is an originalist when interpreting the Constitution.

Instead, he calls himself a follower of "get-it-rightism," reports Radio Iowa.

Wait, how is this different? Let's analyze.

Constitutional originalists are those who interpret the Constitution the way that the original framers intended it to be interpreted.

No, they don't don powdered wigs and lock themselves into a dark room where they try to conjure up what was going on in the minds of our founding fathers.

Instead, they look toward other sources that might explain what the original writers of the Constitution meant.

Justice Thomas says that his "get-it-rightism" is meant to interpret the document as it was originally written.

So, it's different than being an originalist. Or, wait, is it...?

Perhaps "get-it-rightism" is just like "originalism," except with a snazzier name.

But, Justice Thomas also posed a good question to all who shun his originalist - er, "get-it-rightism" - approach to constitutional interpretation, according to Radio Iowa. 

"What else am I supposed to do, use an Ouija board, chicken bones?" he asked.

Great question, Justice Thomas.

Related Resources:

• Where Will You Put Your New Clarence Thomas Bobblehead? (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
• Clarence Thomas Too Biased to hear Obamacare? (FindLaw's Law & Daily Life)