Americans are hardly renowned for their understatement, so it came as no surprise when former US solicitor-general Seth Waxman - who served under the Clinton administration - introduced to the conference former Attorney-General Griffin Bell as 'a truly great American'. Obiter has no doubt that Mr Bell, who served under Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1979, is an impressive man. The 85-year-old Georgian exhibits all the hallmarks of traditional southern charm, but as to his status as a truly great American, we'll have to take Mr Waxman's word for it. In addition to the hyperbole, Mr Waxman did provide delegates with some fascinating historical background to the role of the attorney-general in the US. In the immediate post-colonial era, attorneys-general were paid less than half the salary of other cabinet posts, on the basis that it was intended to be a part-time job, with income supplemented from a continuing active private practice. Indeed, George Washington's first A-G, Edmund Randolph, only provided the president with six legal opinions in five years and only appeared once before the Supreme Court. Peter Goldsmith QC, please take note.