My law school classmate and friend Barry Anderson went on to serve with distinction on the Minnesota Supreme Court. He wrote me this morning to say I had appropriately praised Senator Cruz on the anti-Semitism front and to recommend “his great remarks at the Federalist Society national lawyers conference. He called out the offenders in [strong] language.”
The Federalist Society has posted video of the Hon. Robert H. Bork Memorial Roundtable: “A Person Without Prejudice Against Any Group”— The American Tradition of Religious Respect.” Senator Cruz gave the opening address with this written introduction provided by the Federalist Society (I have changed the future tense of the verbs to past tense):
In 1987, Howard G. Crane — then-Managing Partner of Kirkland & Ellis and a self-described “liberal Democrat” — testified in support of Judge Robert Bork’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, describing Judge Bork as “a person without prejudice against any group.” Crane, who was Jewish, explained that Judge Bork, as a young law firm associate, persuaded his firm to eliminate its ban on Jewish attorneys, resulting in Bork’s firm hiring Crane.
In memory of Judge Bork’s commitment to religious respect and his rejection of anti-Semitism, Hon. Judge Roy Altman (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida) moderated a discussion with judges from different faith traditions about the crucial importance of the American tradition of religious respect and tolerance in the U.S. constitutional order, including their personal experiences with interfaith dialogue.
The judges discussed how First Amendment values — such as respect for free speech and for free exercise of religion — can provide a roadmap for preserving Western values under assault by anti-Semitism and other forms of religious intolerance.
Here is the video of the panel. Senator Cruz’s remarks run around 23 minutes. Thank you, Senator Cruz.
Senator Cruz’s opening address is followed by a brief video remembrance of Judge Bork and then by comments from the panelists including another of my friends, Judge David Stras (at about 01:28:00):
Moderator: Hon. Roy Kalman Altman, United States District Court, Southern District of Florida
Hon. Lisa Branch, United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
Hon. Ray Gruender, United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
Hon Ryan D. Nelson, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Hon. Andrew Oldham, United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Hon. Martha Pacold, United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Hon. Lee Rudofsky, United States District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas
Hon. David R. Stras, United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
Hon. Amul R. Thapar, United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
Hon. Evan Young, Texas Supreme Court
