--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: During my years as a practicing lawyer…" description: "\"During my years as a practicing lawyer, it just was part of your study of what Congress was trying to say in their statutes. I never really considered ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/john-paul-stevens-12128_constitution_during-my-years-as-a-practicing-lawyer-i_2482445.jpg" --- # During my years as a practicing lawyer, it just was part… ![“During my years as a practicing lawyer, it just was part of your study of what Congress was trying to say in their statutes. I never really considered judges or scholars as either those who used legislative history or those who were opposed to it until after I got on the court.” quote by John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/john-paul-stevens-12128_constitution_during-my-years-as-a-practicing-lawyer-i_2482445.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/john-paul-stevens-12128_constitution_during-my-years-as-a-practicing-lawyer-i_2482445.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a0/john-paul-stevens-12128_constitution_during-my-years-as-a-practicing-lawyer-i_2482445.jpg) > “During my years as a practicing lawyer, it just was part of your study of what Congress was trying to say in their statutes. I never really considered judges or scholars as either those who used legislative history or those who were opposed to it until after I got on the court.” [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He realized that judges use legislative history as a tool, not just scholars, after becoming a judge. **In simple terms:** Judges apply legislative history after joining the bench. Key Takeaway Recognize the shift in perspective when moving from practice to judging. Themes law judicial reasoning legislative history career transition Mood analytical reflective Type legal interpretive When to use this quote - court decisions - law school teaching - policy analysis - legal research Key Concepts statutory interpretation judicial philosophy legal methodology Questions to Reflect On - How does a judge’s background affect their use of legislative history? - What are the risks of over‑reliance on legislative intent? A Different Perspective Judicial reliance on legislative history can be limited by incomplete records. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Considered Judges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/considered-judges-879225/) [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Opposed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-opposed-879228/) [Judges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judges/) [Judges Scholars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judges-scholars-879226/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [Legislative History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legislative-history-879229/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Used Legislative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used-legislative-879227/) ## Related quotes > [“You're Professor Mills? 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Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-s-smith/) > [Our Constitution was not written in the sands to be washed away by each wave of new judges blown in by each successive political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-black/our-constitution-was-not-written-in-the-sands-to-be-washed-away-by/) [Hugo Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-black/) > [Those who made and endorsed our Constitution knew man's nature, and it is to their ideas, rather than to the temptations of utopia, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bork/those-who-made-and-endorsed-our-constitution-knew-man-s-nature-and-it/) [Robert Bork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bork/) > [I would like beautiful gymnastics to be recognized as the best. I want the judges to appreciate things that are not necessarily winning points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kohei-uchimura/i-would-like-beautiful-gymnastics-to-be-recognized-as-the-best-i-want/) [Kohei Uchimura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kohei-uchimura/) ## More by John Paul Stevens > [When the commission finds that a pig has entered the parlor, the exercise of its regulatory power does not depend on proof that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/when-the-commission-finds-that-a-pig-has-entered-the-parlor-the/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [The practice of executing such offenders is a relic of the past and is inconsistent with evolving standards of decency in a civilized society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/the-practice-of-executing-such-offenders-is-a-relic-of-the-past-and/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [It is not our job to apply laws that have not yet been written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/it-is-not-our-job-to-apply-laws-that-have-not-yet-been-written/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [As a matter of constitutional tradition, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we presume that governmental regulation of the content of speech…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/as-a-matter-of-constitutional-tradition-in-the-absence-of-evidence-to/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [I announced my dissent in the Citizens United orally, and I stumbled in my announcement. 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Heller, which recognized an individual right to possess a firearm under the Constitution, is unquestionably the most clearly incorrect decision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/district-of-columbia-v-heller-which-recognized-an-individual-right-to/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [After all, a district judge who gives harsh sentences to Yankees fans and lenient sentences to Red Sox fans would not be acting reasonably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/after-all-a-district-judge-who-gives-harsh-sentences-to-yankees-fans/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [All I can say is I did the best I could, and I didn't do well enough on many occasions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/all-i-can-say-is-i-did-the-best-i-could-and-i-didn-t-do-well-enough/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [It almost seems I was writing two separate books, the first one about the time before I went on the court and the second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-stevens/it-almost-seems-i-was-writing-two-separate-books-the-first-one-about/) [John Paul Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-stevens/) > [One thing, however, is certain. 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