As part of the law school’s Visiting Jurist series, federal judge Margo K. Brodie held an informal discussion panel with students and faculty.
The Visiting Jurist series, which has been taking place since the 2008-09 academic year, brings federal judges from across the country on to campus.
According to the Visting Jurist page on the University web site, “the informal setting allows faculty to engage with the jurists who shape the development of the law and allows students to meet judges in a way that removes some of the mystery of the judicial process.”
Brodie is the first Afro-Carribean born judge to be appointed to a federal position in the United States. She currently serves on the Eastern District Bench for New York, after being confirmed by the Senate earlier this March.
Her visit is followed by six other New York District Court Justices, a New Jersey District Court Justice and Hon. Dennis Jacobs for the Second Circuit of the Court of Appeals.
To open her visit, Hon. Brodie discussed her transition from serving as a prosecutor to serving as a judge. She said she tries to not let the title of ‘judge’ define who she is as a person.
“I kept trying to tell people- there’s no reason to call me judge,” she said, laughing. “They just keep doing it anyway.”
She continued to discuss her work environment, opening up the panel to receive questions from the audience. She touched on the difference between prosecution and judiciary work, and then moved on to answer inquiries about her position as an adjunct professor at Brooklyn Law School, where she has taught since 2009.
“I’m a workaholic,” she said, explaining her addition of teaching to her already busy day. “[But] as long as I have time on the weekends to watch my football, I’ll keep on loving my job.”
In response to questions about hiring recent law graduates, she emphasized the importance of both a well-structured resume and a strong network of associations. She strongly urged students to ensure they mention things they feel strongly about, regardless of what they think a future employer may want to see as a hobby.
“I may have no interest in your love of romance novels, but I’d rather see that you have something you love outside of the job,” she said.
