Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Ronald M. George, former Chief Justice of California. Reflecting on his years of public service, Chief Justice George traces his intellectual journey and offers his thoughts on the qualities of thinking and temperament that characterize judicial deliberation. He argues for both decisional independence and institutional independence if the judiciary is to perform its role in a democracy as a co-equal branch of government. Recalling his efforts as head of the California Judicial Council to reorganize the state court system, he identifies the challenges he faced. He analyzes the complexity of the California constitution and its amending process and concludes with a discussion of the intricate process of deliberation in all three branches of government when faced with controversial issues. http://conversations.berkeley.edu