On July 16 — his 70th birthday — Chief Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia will pass the gavel to a successor. Appointed by President Reagan in 1987, Lamberth, well known for his colorful written opinions and no-nonsense demeanor, is taking senior status. He's served as chief of the trial court for five years.
Lamberth spoke with The National Law Journal about a range of topics, from his leadership of the court and his regrets to the emerging controversy over whether the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which he led from 1995 to 2002, blindly acquiesces to requests from government lawyers.
