Michigan Supreme Court Justice James L. Ryan talks about his family history, going to Catholic school, working at WXYZ Television, attending the University of Detroit, and entering law school before finishing his undergraduate degree in order to extend his draft deferment during the Korean War years. Ryan also discusses the first years of his law career, including joining the armed forces and serving as a lawyer, practicing at Waldron, Brennan, Brickley and Maher, and being elected justice of the peace in 1963, and Wayne Circuit Court judge in 1966. After being appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court by Governor William Milliken, Ryan says that he became part of a Court which faced some of the most complex issues of the era, including abortion rights, no-fault automobile insurance, the law of comparative negligence, and governmental immunity. Ryan also discusses the nature of the Michigan Supreme Court and his colleagues Jusices Thomas Brennan and John Swainson, who he replaced. Recording ends abruptly. First of three interviews of Justice Ryan.
