Richard Cahn’s unique memoir tells firsthand the stories of six dramatic public court cases, and shows how lawyers and impartial judges are our best protection against inappropriate governmental actions. Join us to hear Richard iscuss these cases, which affected the lives of many and became part of a long tradition of Constitutional law gradually changing to meet new conditions.

About the Author: 

Richard C. Cahn started his career in the Justice Department as a member of Attorney General Herbert Brownell’s Program for Honor Law Graduates, and went on to practice law as a private attorney for more than 60 years, fighting court battles pitting ordinary citizens and the government against each other. He argued the nation’s first local government reapportionment case before the Supreme Court. He became President of a major County Bar Association, served for many years on judicial screening committees for the federal and state courts, prosecuted attorneys for professional misconduct, and was a regional counsel for the State University of New York. Unlike many, he believes that judges have long “legislated from the bench” when necessary to do justice, and that they deserve admiration and respect for doing so, rather than condemnation. He also believes that because many court cases are being brought today in an attempt to change public policies about which the two major political parties passionately disagree, it is particularly important that the judges deciding them be free of partisan political influence, as intended by the Founders, and we must put a stop to actions of the executive and legislative branches of the government to demean, weaken, and politicize the courts. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Yale Law School.