In three days before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett did more than just prove that she belongs on the Supreme Court. She delivered one of the most effective performances ever for a nominee seeking the job.

As judicial nominations have become more contentious, all recent nominees to the Supreme Court have demonstrated a depth of knowledge about constitutional law and a lawyer’s ability to field questions from senators. Barrett certainly did all of that. In days of testimony, she effortlessly recounted the issues at stake in various legal disputes, juggled questions from senators, and explained the reasoning in her own decisions and academic writings, all without notes.