Prop 8 Judge Advises Lawyers to Lighten Up
The federal judge who struck down California’s ban on gay marriages has some advice for lawyers: Sometimes you believe in your clients too much.
Speaking to the Alameda County Bar association, U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker said lawyers should remember every case has at least two sides, according to the Recorder’s Legal Pad blog. Walker, who is retiring, made the comment as he described the lessons he learned during his 21 years on the bench.
Walker sees parallels between the courtroom and the classroom. “Lawyers are like children, and judges are like the substitute teachers,” he said. He recalled how case management rules have see-sawed during his tenure, becoming more strict, then less strict. Now there is pressure to tighten them once again, he said.
