Amul Thapar

The average juror is not Mr. Spock. If he were, then a trial-court judge's job would be much easier. He could instruct the jury in broad strokes - instructing only as to the bare elements of the crime, perhaps - and be confident that the jury would deduce all of the finer-grained implications that must logically follow.

Keeping politics out of the courtroom is a goal every state aspires to achieve.

A defendant can use discovery to run out the clock on the plaintiff and to make the plaintiff run out of money.

I support an equal playing field for plaintiffs and defendants - and the way to get that equal playing field is not by having unlimited discovery.

Everyone should think seriously about public service at some point.

The solution to voters potentially being misled by a judicial candidate's political speech is more speech - not government censorship.

You can't put a price on being proud of what you do.

The Boston College community took a personal interest in my success, not only as a student but as a human being.

At some point, the law has to command respect, and there is a lawful way to change it.

It is not the responsibility of the judiciary to amend poor legislative drafting, even if judges would personally prefer a different outcome than what is required by a statute's text.