It turns out even judges in the nation's highest court love frozen sweets, and Justice Elena Kagan fought to get a fro-yo machine in the Supreme Court's cafeteria. A woman after our own hearts.
The Wall Street Journal delved into the somewhat secret world of the Supreme Court's cafeteria, revealing that the junior judge is made to sit on the cafeteria committee. From 2010 until this April (when Neil Gorsuch joined the bench), that person was Kagan. Chief Justice John Roberts told a judicial conference in 2011 that cafeteria duty is meant to bring new justices "back down to earth after the excitement of confirmation and appointment."
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He said, "Justice Kagan succeeded in getting a new frozen yogurt machine in the cafeteria. No one at the court can remember any of the prior justices on the committee doing anything."
Leave it to a woman to get shit done. But also, fro-yo is of the upmost importance. After a long day of legal deliberations, the other eight Supreme Court justices can thank Kagan for providing them with delicious frozen yogurt right in the building.
In a speech at Princeton in 2014, Kagan said she saw the committee position as a form of hazing when she joined SCOTUS. "It’s not a very good cafeteria, so this is really just the opportunity they have to kind of haze you all the time," she said. "Like, 'Argh, you know, Elena, this food isn’t very good.'"
She explained that it forced her to spend an hour every month thinking about chocolate chip cookies, which honestly doesn't sound like the worst assignment.
Before Kagan's stint as queen of the cafeteria, there were some other major changes, but not many. Justice Stephen Breyer brought in Starbucks coffee to keep everyone better caffeinated, according to Business Insider.
Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female SCOTUS justice, stirred up trouble when she switched the cafeteria to a new food service company, leading multiple committee members to resign, Business Insider reports.
Cafeteria drama is real.