Whereas Thomas plants the beacon on where SCOTUS should be on an issue and where it needs to go, Alito is willing to stake out a milder position to help get it there over time. The former provides the big-picture outline, while the latter colors it in. //

What cases like Dobbs and Hamm underscore is the often-unappreciated secret sauce behind many of the Supreme Court’s crucial decisions in recent years. That is, Thomas’ and Alito’s differing but equally necessary approaches to the law working together to produce jurisprudence that accords with what the Constitution calls for.

Whether in victory or defeat, these two justices are laying the foundation of solid originalist interpretation for future courts to look towards in related matters before the bench. Their combined presence at SCOTUS is a blessing, one which Americans would be wise to appreciate while they have it.