John Roberts: Pandemic provides a lesson in humility and compassion

• "Humility. The pandemic should teach us at least that," he said. "Those who have lost jobs or small businesses, whose hopes and dreams may be slowly drifting out of reach."
• He pointed out that the graduating students were probably among a "handful of the most challenged high school graduating classes since the class of 1942" during the Second World War. "This your moment, your time to begin leaving your mark on the world," he said.

"Today we call those graduates part of the Greatest Generation. What are they going to call you? Your challenge is not as great, but it’s big and it’s yours."

Of note: Roberts did not address current Supreme Court cases, such as on abortion issues, immigration or President Trump's tax returns. But he did touch on the impact of the coronavirus on the justices.

• "We of course cannot shake each other’s hand now. I look forward to the day when that tradition can be revived," Roberts said.
• And he noted he'd been asked recently about whether the justices wore robes during unprecedented hearings conducted "over the telephone". "I didn't know if the person was asking: judicial or bath," he joked, without elaborating further.