Fordham Law School FLASH: The Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship and History The Advocate Student Publications 3-27-1995 The Advocate The Advocate, Fordham Law School Follow this and additional works at: http://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/student_the_advocate Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation The Advocate, Fordham Law School, "The Advocate" (1995). The Advocate. Book 117. http://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/student_the_advocate/117 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Publications at FLASH: The orF dham Law Archive of Scholarship and History. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Advocate by an authorized administrator of FLASH: The orF dham Law Archive of Scholarship and History. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE ADVOCATE Fordham Law School',? Student Newspaper since 1967 Vol. XXVII, No.9 Fordham University School of Law • © 1995 The Advocate March 27, 1995 Auction Breaks the Bank .-------------------......;---__. Annual Public Service New Yorker. The auction's Event Reaps Record proceeds help finance pub­ Batts On Hotnophobia, S90,OOO! lic interest work by the law students. by David Bowen and Earl A. Wilson First Years, and O.}. More than one auction Fordham's Fourth An­ rhere are, in effect two By Jeffrey Jackson auctions: a silent and a live I was running a little late on nual StudentSp onsored Fel­ my way to the interview withJ udge lowship Goods and Services auction. The Silent Auction, Batts. Radcliffe College. Harvard Auction raised more than which began at about 7:00 Law School. Clerk for Judge Pierce. Associate at Cravath, Swain and $90,000 on Tuesday March 7 PM in theAtriUm,had tables Moore. Professor of Law at to support legal assistance which displayed items for Fordham Law School. Federal auction such as dinners, Judge in the Southern District of to the poor. The predictable New York. Not a woman to keep featured goods for sale were sports memorabilia, art, T­ waiting. After I passed the gaunt­ two loaves of Irish soda shirts, etc. Bidders submit­ let of security gu"ards and metal detectors, I searched for Judge Batts' bread that were claimed for ted sealed, silent bids and chambers. Since I was unable to a staggering $5,000 and awaited results later in the bring recording equipment into the $3,000. They went to, re­ evening. Some participants courthouse, I was forced to rely on U.S. District Court Judge Deborah Batts my trusty pad and pen. Whenlmet spectively, Fordham Law who submitted bids com­ of the Southern Qistrict of New York Judge Batts (on time) she was very alumnus Thomas J. Kavaler mented that they were able friendly and even offered me a cup ing a federal judge, states Batts, was to secure bargains as a re­ of coffee, which I declined. her "mouth." Because of her outspo­ and the school's dean, John The Honorable Deborah Batts kenness, she feels that she was made D. Feerick. The many items sult. was confirmed as a federal judge to appear before the Justice Depart­ auctioned included tickets The Live Auction began for the Southern District of New ment on three separa te occasions. For­ York on May 6, 1995. She was tunately, they never killed the candi­ to musicals, sporting events, at about 8:00 PM and fea­ sworn in on June 23, 1995. dacy outright. While she noted that events with professors and tured the effervescent auc­ First, I asked her about the chal­ \ one should not change who one is, tioneer Bernadette Castro, leng es that face her as a new judge. one should also hesitate to "volunteer administrators, and lunches After laughing heartily, she re­ information. " with VIPs, at, of course vary­ former senatorial candidate. sponded, "First of all the caseload Her advice to anyone seeking ?­ ing prices. This was her fourth con­ is huge, up to 420 cases. There are position on the federal bench is to "be new cases daily, trial motions, the best at whatever you do." Career For example, lunches secutive year as auctioneer. agreements of parties, etc. There paths for federal judges are very di­ with Fordham's president, As promised by Tom are more cases per day than can be verse, from public sector work to part­ Schoenherr, head of the disposed of." She further com­ nerships in major law firms to every­ the Rev. Joseph A. O'Hare mentedthat when parties can come thing in between. 'Some common and former Secretary of State Public Interest Resource to an agreement on their own, this threads include community service Cyrus Vance went for about Center, this was the "best is a better decision, since "justice is and .active participation in bar asso­ being done." Overall, the caseload ciations. Equally important is finding $1,000, while it cost only $300 ever" auction. A lot of fun is fairly distributed among each a job that one can enjoy. Judge Batts to have lunch with Jeffrey and a good time were had judge," regardless of seniority or notes "I've had the luxury of being by all, and for a good cause. working style. This allows her to happy with the jobs that I've had." Toobin, the former prosecu­ "smile when she comes to work." The tone of the conversation be­ tor who is now covering the Editor's ~ote: The $90,000 total was a Judge Batts did mention that came more serious. Judge Batts re­ O.J. Simpson trial for The new record for any law school. she misses teaching full-time at sponded to my comment that many Fordham (she presently teaches a Americans like to think that racism, Domestic Relations Seminar for sexism, and homophobia are relics of upperclassstudents). She especially an ancient time, to be dug up only missed teaching first year students. during political excavations. What "Some have preconceived notions challenges does she face as a African­ about the law .. there is an open American, a homosexual, and a mindedness tha t first-years woman? Thoughtfully, she responded share ...people have strong opinions : "If I feel denied in some way, the and will listen to classmates." She good news is that I don't have to won­ commented that first-years are open der which characteristic was the to the suggestions of professors and reason ... This is a pointless exercise to "that she was able to see the devel­ pursue.. .Being discriminated against opment o{stUdents as they contin­ sh"ows that we have a long way to go ued their law school careers. Be­ in educating powerful people. People coming a federal judge was tough should be judged by their credentials. for this reason: she had to give up a When we do things well, we are con­ job that she loves - teaching. sciously or subconsciously educating The biggest obstacle to becom- Continued on page 9 ..... 2 The Advocate • March 27, 1995 CSP and PIRC Thank Blood Donors For Valentine's Day this year, 178 teers Anthony Dryer, David Greene, James Fournier Judith O'Sullivan Fordham students, staff, arid faculty Jeff Hummel, Michelle Mancino, Naem John Gaffney Y~misi 6loge Mary Gaffney Michael Ortenau took time out to send priceless gifts to Vargo and Ross Zelman. The CSP Paul Garfinkel Darshan Patel unknown admirers. The Valentine's wants to extend a very special thanks Bessie Giannopulos Gregg Paradise Blood drive on February 13 and 14, to Melissa Goldstein for her commit­ Seth Goldman Elena Paraskevas 1995, was the most successful ever at ment and invaluable help in promot­ Melissa Goldstein Christine Pardo ErezGotlieb Eloise Parrino Fordham Law School, 169 pints. This ing and monitoring this drive. Christine Goutzas Ivan Peill turnout is even more significant in light ...... Bruce Green Sandra Pettit of the current dangerously low levels THE FORDHAM LAW COMMU­ Justin Green Alice Phillips in blood supplies for our area. New NITY SERVICE PROJECT Lillian Grossbard Lisa Pollard Steven Gursten Clara Pombo York Blood Services, who were orga­ and Jeffrey Hale Vincent Puma nizing the collection activities in the THE PUBLIC INTEREST RE­ David Hanon Henry Putzel III atrium, were hard pressed to keep up SOURCE CENTER Jeremy Heckerling Michael Raab with the steady stream of donors (a thank all those who donated blood Wayne Heller Alan Rabinowitz Norren Heslin Belinda Reinhardt problem they would probably like to during the Valentine's Blood Drive: Kim Heyman Robert Renzulli face more often). Artemis Anninos Shari Hines Jeffrey Richardson For several donors, the process Lexter Antonio Steven Holinstat Daniel Richman Devorah Asher from start to finish took over an hour. Prof. Gail Hollister Kim Richter Thomas Ballato Carl Hum # Gretchen Rigol Although that was plenty of time to get Christopher Barbuto Kathleen Hurley Johanna Romero cold feet (a serious medical condition Benjamin Barros Ann Jablonski Laure!1t Sacharoff that makes blood donation impossible Andy Beame Michael Jones Heather Sager Michael Bertrand for hours, even days, afterwards!), most Prof. James Kainen Victor Salerno Eugenio Bissocoli Benjamin Kaplan Lean Schleicher of the donors patiently stuck it out to Betti Block Daniel Karp Felice Schonbrun the end. Given the impressive turnout Michael Brady Theresa Kerins Peter Schalk this semester,' we will ask New York Jon Brayshaw Dean Koplick Curt D. Schmidt Elise Brockman Blood Services to speed up the process Valentine Korah Khadijah Sharit Kristin Broderick Hallie Kostrinsky Peter Sheridan at next semester's Blood Drive, so do­ Robert Brusseau Joseph Laroski Gregory Shu fro nors won't have to wait quite as long. Melissa Carlisle Moselle Leventhal Sabrena Silver This year's sponsor, Citibank, Christina Chiaramonte Amy Lopiest Meredith Sopher Nancy Clermont treated all donors to 35mm cameras Jessica Lynn Melina Spadone Robert Cohen Lyle Mahlo Joseph Sponholz and batteries .