I don’t know why, but the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia reminds me of a story about Judges, Lawyers, and President Lincoln.

A great admirer of President Abraham Lincoln once appeared in front of President Lincoln and asked for an appointment as a federal judge as a reward for some campaigning he had done in Illinois. The President, who was aware of the man’s complete lack of judicial attributes told the man: “There simply are no vacancies at the present time.”

That man left. Early the next day, this same man was walking along the Potomac River and he saw a man being pulled from the river, drowned. He immediately recognized the man as a federal judge. Without any hesitation, the man again presented himself to President Lincoln as he was eating breakfast. He told President Lincoln what he had seen and demanded an appointment to this new vacancy.

Lincoln shook his head and said: “I’m so sorry, sir, but you came too late. I have already appointed the lawyer who saw him fall in!”

Let’s not get too hasty about an appointment to the Supreme Court!