Justice Souter Says He Undergoes ‘Intellectual Lobotomy’ During Term

Justice David H. Souter doesn’t make many public appearances, and an offhand comment he made at an event last night may illustrate why.

Souter said he undergoes a “sort of annual intellectual lobotomy” as the U.S. Supreme Court's term begins, and it continues until the court finishes its work, reports The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.

Souter made the remark as he urged American children to develop a “habit of mind” that includes reading books, an activity he loves—and misses during the Supreme Court’s term.

The BLT says Souter’s lobotomy comment, a short snippet in a long discussion of the humanities, could help explain the conventional wisdom that the justice might be considering retirement. “If he thinks of his work on the court, even sarcastically, as a nine-month-long, brain-evacuating experience, it is easier to see why he would want to leave it behind—if nothing else, to catch up on his reading,” the blog says.

The justice’s comments were made in a question-and-answer session that followed a panel discussion sponsored by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. It is available on C-Span.