Daniel L. Golden '34 Lecture Series - Between Law and Politics: The Role of the Judiciary in American Democracy

What does it take to become a judge, and what does judging actually look like in practice? How do judges navigate the relationship between law and politics, and what role does advocacy play in shaping outcomes in the legal system?

In this panel discussion, Judge Catharine Easterly will offer an inside look at the American judicial system, drawing on her experience on the D.C. Court of Appeals. The conversation will demystify how judges are selected, and examine the importance of legal advocacy and access to counsel in criminal and civil cases. It will also consider the extent to which politics shapes judicial decision-making and how courts interact with the other branches of government. Along the way, the discussion will offer a glimpse into the everyday work of judges and the thousands of legal professionals working to uphold and apply the law. A Q&A will follow. 

The Honorable Catharine Friend Easterly is an Associate Judge in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, to which she was appointed in 2011 by President Barack Obama. She received her B.A., cum laude with Distinction in History, from Yale College, and her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

After graduating from law school, Judge Easterly worked as an appellate public defender, first at the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County, New York, and then at the Office of the Appellate Defender in New York City. She then joined the New York firm Stillman and Friedman, P.C. as an associate. In 2003, Judge Easterly joined the Special Litigation Division of the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, where she worked until her appointment to the Court of Appeals.