THE ROBING ROOM

I actually clerked for Judge Hurley shortly after he took the federal bench. Later, I went on to clerk for a federal appellate judge and have now practiced in federal court across the country for many years. Of Judge Hurley, I can say this: He is bright, articulate, and epitomizes what a federal judge should be and do. Hurley lets everyone have their say. He looks at the facts and the law and then tries to fashion a fair ruling that lies within the bounds of the law. But you do not want to be a criminal defendant whom Hurley sentences because you are going away for a very long time. In sum, parties would be much better off if more federal judges took their cues from Hurley's style of judging.