by John G. Roberts, Jr.
Each of the federal circuit courts of appeals has its own unique character. The D.C. Circuit is no exception. This distinctiveness is the result of local legal cultures, differences in rules, and differences in the personalities that have sat on the bench at each of the circuits and have impressed their own character on the institution.
For example, I am sure you are familiar with the tradition in the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, where at the end of oral argument the judges come down from the bench and shake hands with the lawyers. It is a very endearing custom emblematic of the grace and hospitality of the region encompassed by the Fourth Circuit. Read the entire article.