The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit will rehear a labor case in which a contentious exchange flared up recently between two of its judges and offered a peek at how the language of opinions can matter as a reflection of collegiality.

“The dissent begins by expressing ‘due respect’ to the majority—and then ends with a well-known literary quote about idiots,” Judge James Ho wrote in a concurring opinion in the case. “It concludes that my opinion in this case is worth ‘nothing.’” Ho added: “As the adage goes, the loudest voice in the room is usually the weakest.”