THE ROBING ROOM

Judge Brown (not 'Soat-Brown') is neither 'mean-spirited' nor 'arrogant.' She isn't boastful in the least, and, in my experience, never mentions the article that seems to be the preoccupation of some other reviewers. Judge Brown is instead an intelligent, fair-minded, even-handed judge, unquestionably one of the finest in the district. She does have high standards, and she does expect lawyers to abide by them. That tends to rankle inept and ill-tempered lawyers (see comment No. 7592 below). It's a shame that such a careful and meticulous jurist is defamed this way. For contrary views more representative of the Chicago bar as a whole, see her entry in the Almanac of the Federal Judiciary.