Judge

PODCAST: Law and Politics: The Case of State Judicial Elections 

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Summary:

Alicia Bannon, Director of the Judiciary Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, discusses the politics of state judicial elections with Associate Dean Rodger Citron.  In 38 states, judges are elected.  As Bannon describes, judicial elections used to be “sleepy” – not much campaigning was done and not much money was spent.  For a number of reasons, that has changed.  In 2023, for example, about $51 million was spent on the election of a state supreme court justice in Wisconsin. 

Furthermore, as Bannon explains, state courts matter.  The most notable example of the importance of state courts is that they very well may have the final say on laws allowing or restricting access to abortion after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in 2022.  Bannon describes how judicial elections have become more politicized, what effect this has on the operation and perception of state judicial systems, and what, if anything, can be done in response to these developments.       

Brought to you by the Touro Law Review.    

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PODCAST: A Discussion with Judge Michael Ponsor on “Point of Order.”

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Summary: 

Long before he became a federal judge, even before he went to law school in the
early 1970s, Michael Ponsor wrote fiction.  It was not until 2013, however, that Judge Ponsor published his first novel, The Hanging Judge.  In this podcast, Judge Ponsor discusses his passion for writing as well as his experiences as a lawyer and judge that inform his third published novel, Point of Order. 

In his conversation with Associate Dean Rodger Citron, Judge Ponsor discusses the demands and challenges of being a judge and how he presents them in his novels involving Judge David S. Norcross.  Among other things, Judge Ponsor says, it is necessary for a judge to “rule and roll” in order to do the job.  Judge Ponsor also talks about how his experience teaching in Kenya as a young man figures into Point of Order as well. 

This podcast will be of interest to anyone who wishes to learn more about the relationship between law and literature.

Brought to you by the Touro Law Review.   

Learn more about Judge Michael Ponsor

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PODCAST: Part One -“Hitting the Trifecta” With the Hon. Mark D. Cohen

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The Hon. Mark D. Cohen has been a prosecutor, a judge, and now, in private practice, a defense attorney.  In short, he has hit the trifecta as a trial attorney.  In the first part of this podcast, Judge Cohen joins Associate Dean Rodger Citron to talk about his very interesting and rewarding career in the law.  Among the highlights:  As a young man, Judge Cohen trained as a cellist before deciding to go to law school.  After an extended stint in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, he served as the Deputy Director and Chief Counsel of the New York State Department of Homeland Security – perhaps the most challenging position he ever has held.  Throughout the discussion, Judge Cohen makes the case for going to law school and for a career in public service.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Brought to you by the Touro Law Review. 

Our guest today is Hon. Mark D. Cohen.

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