Description

When ruling on landmark cases, do judges bring their personal histories to bear? What, if any, is the role of personal experience and perspective in adjudication? An esteemed panel will grapple with the complexities of making rulings that can change lives, shift policy and alter the course of history while balancing their own moral compasses and staying true to the rule of law.

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Panelists:

Judge Nancy Gertner is a former U.S. federal judge who built her career around standing up for women’s rights, civil liberties and justice for all. Gertner was appointed to the federal bench of the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts by President Bill Clinton in 1994. She retired from the bench in 2011 to teach at Harvard Law School. 
 
Justice Salim Joubran is an Israeli Arab judge on the Supreme Court of Israel. He has served as a Supreme Court justice since 2003 and became a permanent member in 2004. Joubran is the first Arab to receive a permanent appointment in the Supreme Court. He is the second Arab judge to hold a supreme court appointment. 
 
Moderator:

Frederick M. Lawrence became the eighth president of Brandeis University on Jan. 1, 2011. Lawrence is one of the nation’s leading experts on civil rights, free expression and bias crimes. Prior to Brandeis, Lawrence was dean and Robert Kramer Research Professor of Law at George Washington University Law School. Lawrence received a bachelor’s degree from Williams College and a law degree from Yale Law School. Upon completing his term as President of Brandeis this spring, he will become a Senior Research Scholar at Yale Law School.


This discussion will be recorded in partnership with the Forum Network, a joint venture of WGBH and The Lowell Institute. It will be available online at forum-network.org and other affiliated sites.