Supreme Court justices share tips on how to ‘disagree agreeably’

Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Amy Coney Barrett spoke about the inner workings of the high court — and the lessons it can teach everyone else about bipartisanship — in a Friday afternoon panel discussion.

During an hourlong session, the Supreme Court stalwarts were asked to speak on how people can disagree better. The topic is part of a theme of the National Governors Association winter meetings, which are being held at a downtown Washington, D.C., hotel.

Sotomayor, 69, said justices do not speak in person ahead of oral arguments presented to the court so as to preserve their initial thinking before hearing arguments.

“That’s generally been what happens,” she said. “The first time you hear us talking to each other [about a case] is at oral arguments.”

But they do speak in person, and quite frequently, at other times.