There was a time when every federal judge was hailed as a superstar, an embodiment of legal excellence, a beacon of the justice system. This eminent stature of federal judges seems to have lost a bit of its shine in past years due to controversial appointments ranging from dubious qualifications to inexperienced appointees. Loons, unseasoned individuals barely out of school, and this has led to an apparent devaluation of federal judgeship.
However, let’s take a step back and return to an era when a federal judge was selected from the pool of experienced legal luminaries, not merely based on their ideology. One such legal paragon was Judge Guido Calabresi.
As an esteemed figure in the legal community, the NY State Bar Association Commercial & Federal Litigation Section is hosting a conversation with Judge Guido Calabresi this Tuesday, coinciding with the release of his extensive biography. Interested professionals can register here.
Judge Calabresi, a living embodiment of the American dream, came from humble beginnings. Being of Italian-Jewish descent and facing imminent religious and political persecution, his family fled to America on the brink of World War II. Sans any prominent social standing or grand fortune, his exceptional talents and good luck led him to not only survive but thrive, eventually catapulting him to the position of the Dean of Yale Law School, and ultimately to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, where he has been serving for the past 30 years.
A wave of irony hits when we find that Judge Calabresi’s nephew founded the Federalist Society from where some controversial judicial nominations have originated. In an intriguing turn of events, it seems that the organization now wishes to suppress this fact.
Under such circumstances, it is worthwhile to recall the significant contributions of legal luminaries like Judge Calabresi and provide them the recognition they deserve. Their stories and achievements indeed make us miss the days when judges were not picked from FedSoc message boards but from within the ranks of proven and experienced legal scholars.