A-1
Oral History of the Honorable James Robertson
Index
9/11, 178, 185, 190, 191, 192
Acheson, Eleanor D, 80-81
ACLU, 216, 218
Lawyers Constitutional Defense Committee (LCDC), 43
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, 92
ADR (alternate dispute resolution), 203, 204, 209
Al Qaeda, 190, 191, 192
American Bar Association, 42, 151
American College of Trial Lawyers, 67, 68, 140
American Council of the Blind case, 216, 218
American Motors, 29
Arnold & Porter, 26, 46, 147
Automobile Manufacturers Association, 29, 56
Bailey, F. Lee, 13
Baird, Zoe, 78, 111
Baldwin, Anna, 241
Baskir, Larry, 112
Bates, John, 103, 200
Becker, Edward, 229, 231
Beer case, 201-202
Beer, Peter, 202
Begala, Paul, 113
Bethlehem Steel Corporation, 50
bin-Laden, Osama, 191
Bork, Robert, 83-86
Boston Red Sox, 241
Boumediene case, 156
Braverman, Alan, 67
Brooker, Stephanie, 237
Bryant, William, 105, 144, 168
Buick, 58
Burack, Michael (Mike), 59, 60
Burger, Warren, 119-20
Burgess, Joe, 88-89
Cahn, Daniel, 243
Carter Administration, 149
Carter, Abigail, 243
Carville, James, 113
Church Committee, 177
Chrylser, 29
A-2
CIA, 177, 178
Citron, Eric, 241
Civil Justice Reform Act (CJRA), 122
Civil Rights Act of 1964, 216-217.
Claibourne Hardware case, 111, 115-21
Clark, Russell, 79
Claybrook, Joan, 57
Clinton, Chelsea, 112
Clinton, Hillary, 112, 113
Clinton, William (Bill), 71, 73, 78-80, 83, 100-101, 103, 111-15, 188
Cobell case, 221-26, 241
Cobell, Eloise, 222, 226
Cochran, Kelly, 237
Cohen, Manny, 56
Colbert, Stephen, 219
Collyer, Rosemary, 103, 200
Combatant Status Review Tribunal (CSRT), 154-55
Common Article 3, 162, 163
Council for Court Excellence, 138
Court Reorganization Act, 129
Covington & Burling, 26, 41, 46, 147, 235, 237, 243
Coward, Emily, 225, 241
Cravath, Swain & Moore, 27, 215
Cutler, Lloyd, 28-29, 31-32, 41-42, 46, 48, 81, 85, 118-21
District of Columbia Bar, 24, 143, 145-46, 148, 150-52
Open Door program, 146
District of Columbia Circuit Judicial Conference, 152, 199
District of Columbia Home Rule, 109
Ditzion, Rob, 165, 239
Doar, John, 41
Douglas, John, 41, 46
Douglass, Pat, 55
Dowd, Maureen, 148
Drug Enforcement Administration, 49
Eisentrager case, 160
Empire Gas,, 68
Erickson, Erik, 33
Evers, Charles, 40
Facciola, John, 201
FBI, 76, 177, 178, 183
Federal Election Commission, 234, 244
Federal Law Enforcement Nominating Commission, 72, 73, 77
Federal Tort Claims Act, 109.
A-3
Ferren, John, 46
FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network), 238
FISA. See United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
Fitzpatrick, Bob, 38, 40
Flannery, Tom, 105
FOB (Friends of Bill), 76, 112
Ford, 29, 43, 58, 60
Ford Foundation, 43
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, 176
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, 176
Forrester, Owen, 92
Foster, Vince, 113
Fox, Sean, 234
Freedom of Information Act, 130
Freedom Riders,, 42
Friedman, Paul, 74, 75, 102, 105, 122, 200
Garland, Merrick, 136
Gasch, Oliver, 59, 70, 98, 105, 140-41, 143
George Washington University School of Law, 21-23, 70, 140-41
General Motors, 29, 58
Geneva Conventions, 157-59, 163, 168, 187, 189
Common Article 3, 162
Gesell, Gerhard (Gerry), 129
Gingrich, Newton (Newt), 83
Ginsburg, Douglas, 85
Glenn, John, 16
Gorelick, Jamie, 170
Grace Line, 50
Green, Joyce, 105, 154-55, 186
Green, June, 60-61, 105
Greene, Harold, 105
Gribbon, Daniel (Dan), 147, 235
Griswold, Erwin, 85
Guantanamo Bay, 153-54, 156, 158, 165, 185, 187-88, 190, 193
Guantanamo Military Commission, 155, 159, 161, 189-90
Hall, Joseph, 243
Hamdan case, 153-58, 161-69, 171, 185-90, 199, 215, 239
Hamdi case, 154
Hamilton, Jim, 76, 111
Hanseatic League, 75
Harper, Steve, 226
Harris, Stan, 105
Hatch, Orrin, 81, 82
Hayes, David, 226
A-4
Helms, Jessie, 212
Henderson, Karen LeCraft, 137, 212
Hiss, Alger, 12-13
Hoffa, Jimmy, 11
Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells, ), 46, 53, 117, 240
Hogan, Tom, 103, 104, 105, 129, 186, 202, 223, 240
Hubbell case, 129, 161, 171, 187-88
Hubbell, Webster, 102, 188
Hut, Steve, 67
Huvelle, Ellen, 200, 240
Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanics, 19
Jackson Mississippi, 34-37, 42-43, 69, 115-17
Jackson, Thomas Penfield, 69, 105, 223
James, Bill, 241
JAMS (Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service), 140, 176, 198-99, 202, 209, 214, 225
Jeffress, Amy, 129
Jeffress, Bill, 128-29
Jeffress, John, 129
Jenkins, MarthaWood, 40
JMM Corporation,, 135
Johnson, Lyndon, 22
Johnson, Norma, 101, 102, 104
Johnson, David, 75
Jones, Day, 25
Jones, Nathaniel (Nate), 120
Jordan, Bob, 146, 147
Jordon, Vernon, 77
Judicial Watch, 102
Katyal, Neal, 157, 160, 187
Kaufman, Lisa, 238
Kennedy, John F., 41
Kennedy, Robert, 32
Kerner Commission, 43
Kessler, Gladys, 74, 75, 105
Kilbreth, Jamie, 119
Kindle & Anderson, 25
King, Martin Luther, 30
Klayman, Larry, 102
Kollar-Kotelly, Colleen, 100, 137, 171-72, 178, 181
Lamberth, Royce, 91, 105-6, 171072, 178, 181, 222-23, 226, 231
Land, Stuart, 46, 147
Lawyers’ Committee, 34, 37, 38-45, 47, 84-85. 200
A-5
Director, 116
Leon, Richard, 103, 137, 155, 164, 165
Leonnig, Carol, 170
Leventhal, Harold, 212
Levine, Ted, 56
Lewis, Michael, 210
Library of Congress, 216
Lichtblau, Eric, 179
Lichtman, Elliott, 34
Lichtman, Judy, 34, 73
Liss, Susan, 81
Lunkenheimer, Ashley, 238
Lyons Report, 77
Lyons, Jim, 77
Macrory, Ann, 145
Madigan, Mike, 102
Marcus, Dan, 157
Marcus, Jonathan, 157
Maritime Administration, 50
Marx, Stephanie, 234
Mason., Alpheus, 13
Matthews, Art, 56
Mazzaferri, Katherine, 147
McConnell v. Federal. Election Commission case, 137
McLarty, Mack, 113
Medine, David, 184
Meeks, Bill, 241
Mercouri, Melina, 48
Merhige, 225
Merhige, Robert, 224
Metzenbaum, Howard, 81- 82
Mikva, Abner (Ab), 198, 202
Military Commission, 187
Military Commission Act, 164-65
Miskovsky, Mike, 41
Mode, P. J., 89
Monsanto case, 54, 63
Monsanto Chemical Company, 54
Moore, Charlie, 233
Moss, Randy, 213
Motz, Cassie, 235
Motz, Fred, 79
NAACP, 116, 117, 120
Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc, 42
A-6
Nacrelli, Joe, 24
Nader, Ralph, 29
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 57
National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, 29, 62
Nelson, Ed, 91
Never on Sunday, 48
New York Post, 189
New York Times, 148, 179
NHTSA, 57
Nields, John, 129
Nixon, Richard, 48, 114
Nolan, John, 46, 200
Norton, Eleanor Holmes, 72-75, 77
NSA (National Security Agency), 169, 173, 178, 180
metadata, mass data collection program, 179
surveillance program, 171
Nussbaum, Bernie, 112, 113
O’Connor, Sandra Day, 125
O’Malley, Kate, 81
Oberdorfer, Louis (Lou), 28, 31, 33-34, 41-44, 48, 105, 125, 135, 150, 200, 226
oil embargo 1973, 50
Olin, Jonathan, 241
Palmer, Sean, 237
Parker, Frank, 40
Patel, Syd, 233
Patriot Act, 178, 184
Patterson, Belknap, 84
Payton, John, 118, 119
Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB), 183-84
Peed, Matt, 217, 240
Penn, John, 86
Perelli, Tom, 226
Perkins, Reverend John, 39, 40
Pickering, John, 28, 44, 46, 48, 144, 145, 147, 150
Plager, Jay, 201
Pratt, John, 105
Quirin case, 158
Ramamurti, Bharat, 241
Ramamurti, Paige Ammon, 242
Randolph, A. Raymond, 160-61, 187, 193
Rasul case, 153-54
Rauh, Joe, 34
A-7
Renaissance Weekends, 112
Revercomb, George, 76, 213
Richardson, Bill, 119
Richey, Charles (Chuck), 88, 105, 126
Richman, Todd, 234
Risen, James, 179
Roberts, John, 160
Robertson, James – Personal
Berit (wife), 15
Cleveland, Ohio, 1
Columbia Country Club, 78
Catherine (daughter), 35, 174
St. Andrews Episcopal Day School, 36
Dayton, Ohio, 4
father
Air Force procurement specialist, 4
Cleveland Trust Bank, 1
Black Tuesday in Chicago, 2-3
Otis & Company, 1, 2
Princeton University, 7
George Washington University School of Law, 21-23, 70, 140-41
editor-in-chief of law review, 21
night school, 21, 24, 141-42
Metropolitan Club, 78
mother
Kansas City, Missouri, 2
psychiatric social worker, 2
Smith College, 3
Navy
Eisenhower, 8
first lieutenant,, 16
Office of Naval Intelligence, 20
Oberlin, Ohio, 1
Peter (son), 35
Princeton University, 7
American Whig Cliosophic Society, 12, 13
committees, 9
cum laude, 14
Hiss, Alger, 12
Mason, Alpheus, 13
Naval Science, 11
preceptorials, 11
scholarship, 7
Sheppard case (senior thesis), 13
Williams, Edward Bennett, 11
A-8
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, 9
Prospect Street Elementary School, 5
Steven (son), 35-36
twin sister, 5
Western Reserve Academy, 4, 7, 25
best Latin student, 6
first in class, 6
editor of the school paper, 6
student council chairman, 6,
sports, 6
Robertson, James – Professional
administrative law cases, 107
American College of Trial Lawyers, 67, 69
American Council of the Blind case, 216, 218
arbitration, 198, 204, 207
Automobile Manufacturers Association, 29
baby judge school, 97
Bethlehem Steel Corporation, 50
birther cases, 228
Board of Governors D.C. Bar, 73, 145, 146, 151
Case Management and Electronic Case Filing (CM-ECF), 93-95, 218
case management process, 125
Claibourne Hardware case, 111, 115-21
Cobell case, 221, 225, 226
collegiality in the Court, 98-99, 103-109
Court of General Sessions, 30, 31
Diva of Divorce, 111, 112, 114
effect of email on judge’s work together, 99
effect of immigration matters on judicial caseload, 107
electronic case filing, 91, 92
electronic collegiality, 100
Empire Gas case, 68
employment discrimination cases, 10, 97, 107
Federal Tort Claims Act cases, 109
FISA. See United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
Freedom of Information Act cases, 108
General Motors, 29
pitman arms, 58
Hamdan case, 153-58, 161-71, 185-90, 199, 215, 239
Hamdi case, 154
Hubbell case, 128, 187, 188, 189, 215, 220
IBM PC, 89
insurance coverage litigation, 63
Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanics, 19
JAMS (previously known as the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service), 198
JMM Corporation case, 135
A-9
Judicial Conference Committee on Automation and Technology (CAT), 91
Committee chair, 229
judicial caseload, 104, 106, 108, 195-96
lawyers as complicators, 206
legal practice in Washington in early and mid-1970s, 47
litigation du jour, 67
magnificent seven, 100, 103
Maritime Administration, 50
McConnell v. Federal. Election Commission, 137
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 57
National Lawyers’ Committee, 34, 37, 38-45, 47, 84-85. 200
Director, 116
opinion writing, 131, 132, 135
OSCAR (On-line System for Clerkship Applications and Review), 229, 231, 232
procedures for handling cases, 122-29
Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB), 183
private mediation and arbitration, 196
pitman arms case, 58, 62
Port Gibson boycott, 115
president District of Columbia Bar, 143
pro bono work, 45, 47, 49, 54-54
resistance to automation, 94
Reverend Robertson, 196, 243
Salinger, Pierre, 33
Schroer case, 216
SEC fraud class actions, 56, 63
senior judges, 104, 105
Texaco-Pennzoil case, 121
thoughts
Bork nomination, 85
federal judgeship, 133
law clerk hiring, 19
legal profession changes, 149
international arbitration business, 209
judgeship nomination and appointment process, 73-81
litigation, 52
mediation, 127, 209-10
trial practice changes, 130
Title VII, 108, 131
Trans-Alaska Pipeline Liability Fund, 66
turnover of judges, 105
United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA)
Court, 167, 176-185
Potemkin Village, 175
resignation, 169-184
vaccine compensation litigation, 65-66
A-10
Washington Post op-ed piece, 136
Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, 23
Younger v. Harris case, 135
Robinson, Aubrey, 105, 126, 144
Robinson, Spottsworth, 212
Rogers, Judith (Judy), 152, 219, 234
Ross, Larry, 40
Ruff, Chuck, 74
Rule 12, 206
Sahaf, Mona, 165, 239
Salahi case, 199
Salahi, Mohamedou Ould, 190, 192, 193
Salazar, Ken, 226-27
Salem, Claudia, 232
Salinger, Pierre, 33
Schaller, Jim, 147
Schneider, Pauline, 72, 73
Schroer case, 216
Schroer, David, 216
Schroer, Diane, 216
Segal, Bernard, 42
Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), 177
Sentencing Guidelines, 134
Serringer, Claudia, 87
Seymour , Whitney North, 42
Shellaway, Ruza Afram, 240
Shepard, Alan, 16
Silberman, Laurence (Larry), 201
Singer, Linda, 210
Slaughter, Constance Iona, 39
Smith, John Lewis, 60
Smith, Orma, 118
Snowden, Edward, 183
Solomon, Matt, 237
Specter, Arlen, 173, 182
Spitzer, Art, 216
Sporkin, Stanley, 105, 138, 223
Stanley, Nancy, 127
Starr, Ken, 188
Steptoe and Johnson, 46, 146, 147
Stevens, John Paul, 160-61, 163
Stevenson, Adlai, 212
Stevenson., Lisa, 234
Suh. Jihee, 238
A-11
Sullivan, Emmet, 75, 105
Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan, 25
Swidler & Berlin, 76, 111
Swift, Charles, 157, 160, 186
Syverud, Kent, 125
Tansey, John, 70
Tatel, David, 44, 46, 116, 118, 121, 200, 243
Taylor, Marlene, 87, 200
Temko, Stanley, 147
Temple, Ralph, 145
Terry, Michael, 127
Tetelman, Alan, 59, 60
Texaco-Pennzoil case, 121
Thomadakis, Vassily, 238
Thomas, Clarence, 69, 83
Thurmond, Strom, 212
Tompkins, Hillary, 226
Trans-Alaska Pipeline Liability Fund, 66
Tucker, Marna, 111-14
Tuohey, Mark, 73
Tyler, Harold “Ace”, 84
Urbina, Ricardo, 74-75, 87, 105, 232
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 44, 60, 62, 74, 99, 131, 134-
36, 143, 152, 155, 160-66, 186-92, 194, 212-13, 215, 218, 219, 221-23, 227, 230
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 201
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 156, 186,
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 120
United States Department of Defense, 159
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
rocket docket, 127
United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA)
Act, 183
Court, 167, 176-185
Potemkin Village, 175
resignation, 169-184
United States Justice Department, 28, 80-81, 157, 177-178, 222, 225, 237, 241
United States Supreme Court, 62, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 137, 154, 156, 160, 161, 163, 164,
165, 167, 187, 188, 189, 190, 192
Bork, Robert, 83-86
Hamdan case, 215
USA Freedom Act, 185
A-12
Wald, Pat, 184
Wall Street Journal, 102
Wallace, George, 41
Walton, Reggie, 103, 108, 200
Warhol, Andy, 180
Washington, D.C.
1968 riots, 30
Washington Post, 24, 112, 136, 170, 171
Washington Post Magazine, 112, 114
Webb, Dan, 55
Webster, Dave, 53
Weisberg, Fred, 74
Western Reserve Academy, 4, 7, 25
Westin, David, 180
White & Case, 25
Whitewater case, 188
Wilkins, Robert, 212-213
Williams & Connolly, 53, 233
Williams, Edward Bennett, 11, 13, 53
Williams, Stephen, 162
Wilmer Cutler (now known as Wilmer Hale), 23-28, 32, 44-47, 49-53, 65, 75, 86-90, 102, 112,
116, 118, 125, 213, 235, 238
SEC practice, 56
Wingo, Harry, 235
Wright, Skelly, 212
Yamashita case, 158
Yeager, Michael (Mike), 87, 232
Younger v. Harris case, 135
Zern, Kathy, 244
Zuckerman Spaeder, 234