I just saw the news that former Judge Lee Sarokin had passed away.
I first became aware of Judge Sarokin when I clerked on the Third Circuit in the middle 1980s. He was known as an activist district judge. He subsequently was elevated to the Third Circuit.
It was only after he retired and moved to San Diego that I actually met Judge Sarokin. And while my view of the law was quite different than his, I found him to be a delightful man. I enjoyed talking to him about the notorious judge for whom I clerked and about blogging. In this day and age, when pleasant conversations across political divides are so rare, it is important to remember that such exchanges are both satisfying and important.
I remember that Judge Sarokin was an early blogger but he gave it up because he found the negative feedback he received to be so disconcerting. I advised him that one needed a thick skin to blog and I guess he decided that the enterprise was not worth it.
This exchange always struck me. Judge Sarokin held and acted on strong and controversial views as a judge. Yet, the online comments really bothered him. Was he not strongly criticized as a judge? Perhaps he wasn't or perhaps those criticisms took a more polite form. It must have been interesting to have lived in his world.
He will be missed.
Posted at 8:00 AM