Judgment Calls with Hon. David F. Levi

Judgment Calls with Hon. David F. Levi

Judgment Calls is a podcast hosted by David F. Levi, director of the Bolch Judicial Institute, former dean of Duke Law School, and former Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. In Judgment Calls, Levi interviews judges about their work, their lives, and the challenges and opportunities they see in the U.S. courts. So often judges in the United States work in solitude and behind chambers’ doors. By offering a view into the lives and work of judges, this podcast aims to increase public understanding of what judges do — and how and why they do it. In doing so, we hope this podcast contributes to a greater awareness of the value of judicial independence and advances the Bolch Judicial Institute’s mission of supporting and protecting the rule of law.

Episodes

Judges Under Siege: Threats, Disinformation, and the Decline of Public Trust in the Judiciary

August 8, 2024 • 60 mins
This episode addresses the alarming surge of attacks on judges and courts. These attacks range from threats and acts of physical violence to a corrosive rhetoric that undermines public confidence in the judiciary. While criticism of court decisions is a vital aspect of a healthy democracy, dismissing the courts as corrupt or illegitimate threatens the rule of law. Podcast host David F. Levi moderates this discussion in which paneli...
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Judge M. Margaret McKeown McKeown on the Environmental Legacy of William O. Douglas

January 11, 2024 • 50 mins
Senior Judge M. Margaret McKeown of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit talks with David F. Levi about McKeown’s new book, Citizen Justice: The Environmental Legacy of William O. Douglas—Public Advocate and Conservation Champion. U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas was a giant in the legal world, particularly as the longest-serving justice from 1939 to 1975. His most enduring legacy, however, is perhaps his...
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A Conversation with Judge Diane Wood

January 11, 2024 • 54 mins
Judge Diane Wood of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit talks with David F. Levi about her journey to the bench, her judicial philosophy, and the many rewarding aspects of judging. In 2022, Judge Wood served as a distinguished judge in residence at Duke Law School.
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A Conversation with Judge Michael J. Garcia

March 10, 2022 • 41 mins
Judge Michael J. Garcia of the New York Court of Appeals talks about his unique pathway to the bench. Judge Garcia graduated from Albany Law School in 1989 and went on to clerk for Judge Judith Kaye, the first woman associate and later chief judge of New York state’s highest court, the New York Court of Appeals. During his distinguished career, Judge Garcia has served as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New Yo...
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A Conversation with Justice Stephen Breyer

January 26, 2022 • 64 mins
Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice, United States Supreme Court, talks with David F. Levi about themes from his latest book, "The Authority of the Court and the Peril of Politics," published by Harvard University Press.
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A Conversation with Judge Jacqueline Nguyen

September 9, 2021 • 37 mins
Judge Jacqueline Nguyen of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and David F. Levi talk about Judge Nguyen's experience as a refugee during the Vietnam war who later became the first Asian American woman to serve on a federal court of appeals. They also talk about her nomination process, how being an immigrant informs her judicial perspective, her pathway to becoming a judge, and the importance of diversity on the bench.
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The Incredible, Indescribable Clerkship with Judge Andrew Oldham

July 20, 2021 • 21 mins
Judge Andrew Oldham of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and David F. Levi talk about the clerkship experience and how clerking can contribute to a fulfilling career in the law. Judge Oldham also talks about clerking for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and Judge David Sentelle of the DC Circuit and the impact both judges have had on his life.
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A Conversation with Hon. Ann Claire Williams (Part 2)

March 30, 2021 • 51 mins
In part two, Judge Ann Claire Williams talks with David F. Levi about her more than 30-year judicial career on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
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A Conversation with Hon. Ann Claire Williams (Part 1)

January 19, 2021 • 50 mins
Judge Ann Claire Williams talks with David F. Levi about her life, growing up in Detroit, and her journey to becoming the first Black woman to serve as a judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
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A Conversation with Justice Dikgang Moseneke

May 18, 2020 • 50 mins
Justice Dikgang Moseneke talks with David F. Levi about his life, from being imprisoned on Robben Island at age 15 to serving as a justice on the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the nation's highest court.
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A Conversation with Judge Margaret H. Marshall

April 16, 2020 • 44 mins
Justice Margaret H. Marshall talks with David F. Levi about her remarkable life and career, growing up under apartheid in South Africa, and becoming the first woman to hold the position of chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
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A Conversation with Judge Marjorie Rendell

January 17, 2020 • 34 mins
Judge Marjorie Rendell talks with David F. Levi about the Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Education and its efforts to promote judicial independence, judicial accountability, and civic education.
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A Conversation with Judge Richard Gergel

January 17, 2020 • 32 mins
Judge Richard M. Gergel talks to David F. Levi about his recent book, "Unexampled Courage: The Blinding of Sgt. Isaac Woodard and the Awakening of President Harry S. Truman and Judge J. Waties Waring."
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A Conversation with Judge Jon O. Newman

January 17, 2020 • 39 mins
Judge Jon O. Newman talks with David F. Levi about his life on the bench as recounted in his recent autobiography; the qualities that make for a good judge; and the differences between district and appellate judges and courtrooms.
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A Conversation with Judge Jeffrey Sutton

January 17, 2020 • 49 mins
Judge Jeffrey Sutton talks with David F. Levi about his book 51 Imperfect Solutions: States and the Making of American Constitutional Law and the role of state courts in protecting personal rights.
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