Key keywords: Amy Coney Barrett, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, St. John’s College, UNM School of Law, New Mexico legal event, judicial-academic dialogue, constitutional law discourse, textualism interpretation On October 12, 2024, St. John’s College in Santa Fe and the University of New Mexico (UNM) School of Law co-hosted a highly anticipated public conversation featuring U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, marking one of the few appearances by a sitting Supreme Court justice in the state of New Mexico in the past decade. The event drew a diverse crowd of 750 attendees, including law students, undergraduate liberal arts scholars, local legal practitioners, state judges, and university administrators, with free tickets reserved first for students to ensure broad access for young learners. Moderated by UNM School of Law Dean Serena Liebman and St. John’s College President Mark Roosevelt, the 90-minute discussion covered a wide range of topics without touching on pending Supreme Court cases, in line with federal judicial ethics guidelines. Justice Barrett opened by reflecting on her path to the federal bench, including her 15-year tenure as a law professor at Notre Dame Law School, her three years serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and her adjustment to the unique collaborative dynamics of the Supreme Court after her 2020 confirmation. She walked attendees through her core approach to constitutional and statutory interpretation, emphasizing her longstanding commitment to textualism and originalism, and answered pre-submitted questions from students on topics ranging from clerkship application advice to how justices maintain respectful working relationships despite deep ideological divides on high-stakes rulings related to healthcare, environmental policy, and civil rights. Administrators from both institutions noted that the invitation to Justice Barrett was part of a broader annual series of events aimed at exposing students to diverse perspectives across the ideological spectrum, regardless of campus community agreement with individual judicial rulings. A small group of peaceful protestors gathered outside the venue prior to the event, demonstrating against Justice Barrett’s votes in cases related to reproductive rights, climate regulation, and student debt relief, with event organizers affirming their support for free speech rights while ensuring the conversation proceeded without disruption. Following the main public discussion, Justice Barrett attended a small closed-door roundtable with 20 pre-selected law students to answer more specific questions about appellate practice and judicial decision-making. The event has already spurred plans for a spring 2025 seminar series at UNM School of Law focused on current debates over constitutional interpretation methods and their real-world impacts on New Mexico residents.