Judgment Calls with Hon. David F. Levi

"One thing I came to believe when I finished the book was that we always think of heroes as perfect, and Douglas was both fascinating and flawed. I realized that heroes don’t have to be perfect." This episode addresses the alarming surge of attacks on judges and...

"One thing I came to believe when I finished the book was that we always think of heroes as perfect, and Douglas was both fascinating and flawed. I realized that heroes don’t have to be perfect."Senior Judge M. Margaret McKeown of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the...

Judge Gerald B. Tjoflat (Duke Law J.D. '57) of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit talks to David F. Levi about his experience as a student at Duke Law School, how his relationship to the school has evolved, and the importance of maintaining the...

"What I have most enjoyed is the opportunity from time to time to take a really hard problem and think my way through it, and on top of that, persuade my colleagues that the way I’ve thought through it is the right way to think about it."Judge Diane Wood of the U.S....

"You can have all the rules of what law you want, but until it’s applied to people in cases, there’s no rule of law functioning." Chief Judge Emeritus J. Clifford Wallace of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit talks to David F. Levi about his work with...

"If you want a rule of law, if you want it in reality and not on paper, you can't just talk to the judges and you can't just talk to the lawyers. . . . It is the people in the towns, in the villages. Contrary to popular belief, of our 331 million people, 330 million...

Judge Nguyen shares her experience as an immigrant and judge. 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...

This episode is all about the value of clerkships. 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...

Highlights 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. Following the police killing...

Highlights 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...

Highlights 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 Moseneke discusses his experiences as...

Highlights 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. Justice...

Highlights 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. As a former first lady of Pennsylvania, Judge Rendell...

Highlights 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 Gergel tells the story of Judge Waties Waring, who...

Highlights 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 Newman shares his...

Highlights 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. Judge Sutton shares his inspiration for writing the book (a...