U.S. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. on Tuesday returned to the city where he was born, engaging a Canisius College audience on a variety of Supreme Court topics, from his style as the 17th chief justice to changing technology in the nation's highest courtroom.

The son of a former Bethlehem Steel executive, Roberts, 55, left the area as a second-grader when his father was transferred to Indiana. Tuesday, he thanked the Buffalo community for his warm welcome "back home."

"It made sense to visit in October rather than January," said Roberts, whose remark got a laugh from the crowd of 1,300 assembled for the free event in the Koessler Athletic Center.

During the day, Roberts dropped by a few Canisius classes and mingled in a number of small groups, but the evening event, "A Conversation With the Chief Justice," was just that.

Roberts spent the first 10 minutes talking in general about the Supreme Court's new term, which started Oct. 4, but then sat onstage with attorney and Canisius trustee Joseph M. Hassett to answer some questions submitted by students, alumni and lawyers.

Roberts was thoughtful and engaging and spoke to the wider audience, not just the many members of the local legal community who were in attendance.

The chief justice was asked about how he writes his opinions.

"I try to write for an audience of intelligent lay people," Roberts said. "I want people who are not necessarily lawyers to be able to pick up and read it."

He has been told that his predecessor as chief justice, William H. Rehnquist, ran a tighter schedule, but Roberts will let the justices' discussion of cases go on longer -- each getting an opportunity to talk before anyone speaks twice -- if it means reaching consensus.

"I haven't heard any complaints yet," Roberts said.

He talked about changes to the Supreme Court, including the Web site, which will have an up-to-date case schedule, as well as transcripts and tapes of oral arguments.

"There's no reason for you not to be completely up-to-date on everything the court does," Roberts said.

The chief justice said he and the other justices have talked about the Supreme Court arguments possibly being broadcast, but the court is slow to change, and they're cautious about doing anything to harm the institution.

"I don't know which direction the court's going to go [on that issue]," he said. "There are arguments on both sides."

What's his advice to students considering law school?

"A good liberal arts education," Roberts said. That, he said, is far more important than any prelaw program.

Roberts was asked if he offered advice to his newest colleague, Justice Elena Kagan, the former Harvard Law School dean who most recently was U.S. solicitor general.

"I know when I came on board all eight justices came by and told me how things worked on the court -- and there were eight different views," he said.

But Roberts said Kagan has hit the ground running.

"We're all very delighted to have her on board," he said.

In response to a question, Roberts said that it is up to each member of the court to decide whether to attend the president's annual State of the Union address.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. last week said he does not plan to attend the next State of the Union. He shook his head in disagreement during the last one, when President Obama rebuked the court for its 5-4 decision in a campaign finance case.

Roberts declined to answer when asked whether the address should be a forum for the executive branch to critique the court's decisions.

The chief justice's visit was sponsored by the college's Frank G. Raichle Pre-Law Center, named in memory the Buffalo trial lawyer whose gift enabled it to be established.

The center sponsors the Raichle Lecture Series, which over the years has brought a number of prominent members of the nation's legal community to campus, including five members of the Supreme Court -- Rehnquist, Byron R. White, Sandra Day O'Connor and two current justices, Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Roberts, born in Buffalo, went on to earn undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard and serve as a law clerk to then-Associate Justice Rehnquist.

He went on to practice law in Washington and served as judge on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2003 to 2005.

After the death of Rehnquist, Roberts was nominated as his successor by President George W. Bush. He assumed the office Sept. 29, 2005.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

jrey@buffnews.comnull