At the 2014 Second Circuit Judicial Conference, you displayed a PowerPoint presentation to introduce new judges. The presentation included photo-shopped images of incoming federal judges. While each of the new male judges was depicted in suits or judicial robes, two female judges were photo-shopped so that their heads were placed on the bodies of an ice skater and an Irish dancer, respectively.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Sat Dec 24, 2022 7:35 pmVery extroverted and charming, judge’s judge (he’s a former trial lawyer and trial judge, not an ideologue), notorious workhorse, highly competent. His answers to questions for the record for the Judiciary Committee unusually show some personality and will give you a taste—he clearly wrote them himself.
https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/me ... 20QFRs.pdf
a. Why did you superimpose the images of the incoming female judges on the bodies of an ice skater and Irish dancer?
In 2014, Chief Judge Robert Katzmann asked me and another federal judge (Judge Roslynn Mauskopf from the Eastern District of New York) to serve as Toastmasters for the Second Circuit’s Annual Judicial Conference. As
Toastmasters, our chief function was to introduce – somewhat humorously – those judges who had assumed the bench in the past year. As is customary in such introductions, we received photographs, anecdotes, and stories from the judges’ colleagues, staff, friends, and families in an effort to provide a good-natured introduction that combined the judges’ professional resumes with “fun facts” involving their past lives, hobbies, and interests. Because there were 22 new judges appointed in the year before the 2014 conference, Judge Mauskopf and I divided up the newly appointed judges for purposes of the introduction. Although the slides were consolidated into a single powerpoint presentation, each of us took primary responsibility for the slides of our assigned judges, and the slides referenced in this question were not prepared by me. Nevertheless, I recall that the images described above were inspired by the fact that those judges had previously participated in the activities depicted – namely, figure skating and Irish step dancing.
Respectfully, it is inaccurate to suggest that “each of the new male judges was depicted in suits or judicial robes.” In fact, there were multiple photos of all the new judges – male and female – including baby photos, Halloween photos, and high school and college photos. One male judge was featured as a six-year old in a Batman costume; another was shown in a football uniform; one had his photo displayed along with characters from Sesame Street; one male judge had his head photo-shopped onto the body of a bike messenger;
ride-sharing judges from one district in the Circuit were depicted as circus clowns crammed into a tiny car; one female judge was introduced as “fearless” with the photo of a toreador staring down a bull; one male judge with the surname Hummell was introduced alongside a photo of a porcelain figurine; the chief judge from the “figure skating judge’s” district was photo- shopped onto a Zamboni, tasked with cleaning up after her figure-skating colleague. The powerpoint ended with a slide displaying photos of all the new judges – all in robes or business attire – under the legend “The Baby Bench” while the theme from “The Brady Bunch” played in the background. In all, the program was a tame introduction of new colleagues that seemed to
be well received by the 500 or so judges and lawyers in attendance, including Chief Judge Katzmann and Justice Ginsburg. It was of course intended to convey, among other things, that humor, humility, and the ability to laugh at oneself are important qualities in judges, and in all human beings. No reasonable reviewer of the powerpoint could believe it reflected sexism, on my part or anyone else’s.
Congress is a very serious place.