Federal Judge Pens Memoir About His Time on the Bench and His High-Profile Cases in ‘Disrobed’

In his time on the federal district court in Brooklyn, Judge Frederic Block has presided over many high-profile cases. He speaks with ABA Journal web producer Lee Rawles about his time in private practice; his involvement with cases, including the Kitty Genovese and Crown Heights Riot murders; and appearing before the Warren Supreme Court to argue a one man, one vote case at the age of 33. He says that he wrote Disrobed: An Inside Look at the Life and Work of a Federal Trial Judge to help further readers’ understanding of federal courts and to combat the typical “judicial lockjaw.”

Reviews:

“Judge Block gives the reader an engaging, often humorous account of his life, as always, and a compelling introduction to the world of a federal judge, whose decisions are subject to plenty of public scrutiny but whose decision-making process remains a mystery for most Americans.” - President Bill Clinton

Updated at 2:20 p.m. to remove a reference in Judge Block’s bio.

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In This Podcast:

Lee Rawles
Judge Frederic Block practiced law for 34 years in private practice as a small-town lawyer before he was appointed to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in 1994 by President Bill Clinton. He is an Indiana University alumnus and received his law degree from Cornell Law School. He also co-authored the music and lyrics to an off-Broadway show, Professionally Speaking.