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.
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 panelists share their perspectives on the increase in attacks on and unfair criticism of judges and propose solutions to protect judicial independence and uphold the integrity of our judicial system.
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 York and has held executive offices at the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In 2016, Judge Garcia was nominated and confirmed to a 14-year term as one of seven judges on the New York Court of Appeals. Judge Garcia served as the Bolch Judicial Institute's Distinguished Judge in Residence in 2021.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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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