5 Supreme Court justices to spend time in Europe

At least five of the nine Supreme Court justices will travel to Europe this summer, mostly to take part in international programs sponsored by U.S. law schools.

Less than a week after the justices broke for the summer with a string of ideologically split 5-4 decisions, Justice Samuel Alito was the first to depart for Europe. Alito went to Latvia this week for a conference on judicial reform and a meeting with Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis.

Chief Justice John Roberts will be in Vienna, Austria, for part of July for the Pennsylvania State University law school summer program, teaching a course on the Supreme Court.

Roberts also is expected in Paris in the middle of this month for an international conference of chief justices.

Justice Anthony Kennedy will be in Salzburg, Austria, where for several years he has taken part in a summer program offered by the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law.

Justice Antonin Scalia will visit London for Pepperdine University's summer international program.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will teach a course on comparative constitutional law at Hofstra University's summer program in Sorrento, Italy.