Like two heavyweights circlingfor a knockout, former Mayor Edward Koch and Paul J. Curran, the head ofMayor Giuliani’s Committee on the Judiciary, have traded roundhouse verbalpunches in a four-year correspondence over the reappointment process forsitting judges.

In 14 letters, which weregiven to the Law Journal by Mr. Koch, these two highly skilled verbalpugilists have by turns been scathing, philosophical, sarcastic and highlytechnical in their legal analyses.