Souter: Judges have limited role

PHILADELPHIA, May 5 (UPI) -- U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter said Tuesday much of what judges do goes unremembered.

USA Today reported that in his first public appearance since announcing his retirement, the 69-year-old jurist said, like those of other judges, his contributions will fade into history.

"For most of us, the very best work that we do sinks into the stream very quickly," he told the 3rd U.S. Circuit Judicial Conference in Philadelphia. "We have to find satisfaction in being part of the great stream."

Souter was appointed to the high court in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush, a Republican. He announced Friday he will retire this summer.

President Barack Obama praised his service to the nation.

"He came to the bench with no particular ideology," Obama said of Souter. "He never sought to promote a political agenda. And he consistently defied labels and rejected absolutes, focusing instead on just one task -- reaching a just result in the case that was before him."