How Judge William Norris Contributed to the Legal Landscape: A Look at His Legacy

Summary

Judge William Norris was a pioneering advocate for human rights, civil liberties, and civil rights throughout his distinguished legal career. He was one of the foremost judges in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, a judge who's rulings improved the lives of countless people and shaped the court's direction in many ways.


Born in Chicago in 1933, William Norris was a brilliant law student, graduating from the University of Chicago Law School with honors and even earning a prized scholarship to study at Harvard. After a few years of practice in private law firms, he became a federal district judge in 1971, and then joined the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1980.

Throughout his career, Judge Norris upheld the Constitution and prioritized the protection of human rights, religious freedoms, and civil liberties. He was a passionate fighter for justice who worked to ensure that everyone was guaranteed the same rights, regardless of color, gender, or religion.

The judge is best remembered for his important legal decisions on a number of cases involving civil and human rights. His 1996 decision in Jenny L. v. City of San Francisco declared that the US Constitution guarantees rights against discrimination based on gender identity, a ruling which was crucial for the LGBTQ rights movement.

In addition to this landmark ruling, Judge Norris also supported cases such as Brown v. Heywood, which fought for students' rights to have access to a quality education, and Davis v. Municipal Court, which upheld the civil rights of incarcerated prisoners. He also became known as an advocate for free speech when he struck down the FCC's attempt to restrict the content of certain radio and television broadcasts.

Judges Norris' legacy lives on through the numerous landmark ruling he issued during his lengthy career. He single-handedly changed the direction of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and provided a new level of protection for religious freedoms, civil liberties, and civil rights. He was a champion of justice who insisted that everyone be treated equally and with respect. Judge Norris will always be remembered as an individual who had a true commitment to justice, equality, and fairness.
 

Judge William Norris: A Famed Circuit Judge

In 1975, William Norris was appointed as the judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals, becoming the youngest and only the third Washington-based judge who came from the Ninth Circuit. During his career, he has become known as the jurist who has had the most profound impact on national law.

A native of Washington, Judge Norris was born in 1937. He received his law degree from Stanford University and worked as a federal appellate lawyer in the early 1970s. In 1976, President Gerald Ford appointed Norris as a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, of which he became the Chief Judge in 1984.

Throughout his long and storied career, Judge Norris has served in various influential positions. These include chairman of the Judicial Conference of the Ninth Circuit from 1987-1991, Attending Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia from 1998-1999, and member of the Judicial Conference of the United States from 1992-2000.

Judge Norris has authored numerous opinions and articles on legal topics, including constitutional rights, civil procedure, and the role of judges. He has earned a reputation for being an even-handed and creative jurist, having been a vigorous proponent of liberal and progressive views.
 

An Influential Judge: William Norris

William Norris was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1975, making him the youngest and third Washington-based judge to serve in the Ninth Circuit. Since then, he has gained a renown as a highly influential jurist and one of the most impactful figures in United States national law.

Judge Norris was born in 1937 in Washington and earned his law degree from Stanford University. He began his legal career as a federal appellate lawyer before being appointed to the court by President Gerald Ford in 1976. In 1984, he was promoted to Chief Judge of the Ninth Circuit Court.

In his long and esteemed career, Norris has held a variety of esteemed positions, such as chairman of the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference from 1987-1991 and Attending Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia from 1998-1999. Judge Norris is an author of numerous opinion articles focusing on civil procedure, constitutional rights, and the role of judges.

A respected and well-known figure in the legal world, Judge Norris is celebrated for his progressive and liberal views, as well as his judicious and creative approach to the law.

In 1955, William Norris, fresh out of Stanford Law School, began clerking for Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas. It was the year after Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark case that banned segregation in public schools. Judge Norris, Douglas' lone clerk, found himself amid a flurry of civil rights orders as the Court began prohibiting the exclusion of African-Americans in many other settings—from public golf courses to beaches to universities.

''It was very intense, if for no other reason than Justice Douglas had only one law clerk and all the other justices at that time had two,'' Judge Norris said in a recent interview. ''It was very demanding, but it was such a heady experience. It was all worthwhile.''

Judge Norris went on to become managing partner of the Los Angeles firm Tuttle & Taylor, where he worked as senior litigator for 24 years. In 1980, he became a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Judge Norris, who would appoint his own clerks for 17 years during his tenure on the Ninth Circuit, recently offered advice on how to land a prestigious clerkship. Judge Norris was known as a ''feeder judge'' to the higher court; many of his clerks went on to clerk at the Supreme Court and are now law professors, successful attorneys, even a dean of the University of Michigan's law school. Here are his recommendations for landing a clerkship:

Have an impressive academic record. Not surprisingly, Judge Norris said this is the first thing he looked for in a prospective clerk. He calls it the ''foundation'' of any good clerk.

''I look for people who are very smart,'' said Judge Norris, now senior counsel specializing in appellate litigation at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld in Los Angeles. ''If you don't have a really outstanding academic record, forget it. (But) that's not enough; you've got to have more than that.''

Offer more than just smarts. Other factors, such as communication skills, common sense, and perseverance, are often just as important as intelligence and academic achievement.

''I look for writing ability. I look for oral, verbal skills,'' Judge Norris said. ''I look for good, practical judgment, good instincts about the law, good instincts about what the law ought to be.''

Be prepared for anything, Judge Norris advises aspiring clerks. As a judge, he always looked for people who could juggle a variety of issues and assignments with aplomb. His clerks participated in every aspect of his work—from reading briefs and discussing cases to preparing memoranda and drafting opinions.

''They have to be generalists,'' he said. ''I never know what kind of cases I'll be getting. I could have them working on a tax case on the same day they're working on a death case, and there might be an execution date set. That just suggests the variety of cases a federal appellate judge has to deal with.''

Demonstrate you can handle new challenges and constructive criticism. As Judge Norris would sort through applications from hundreds of graduates from prestigious law schools—''each record as dazzling as the next''—he sometimes wondered if a candidate's brainpower had allowed him or her to coast a bit.

''I think maybe some of them had never been challenged before,'' he said. ''They were so smart, they had gotten all the way through college and law school and did so well, I don't think they were really challenged.''

He recalled one bright and earnest young clerk from Harvard who proudly showed Judge Norris his first draft of an opinion. Judge Norris sent him back to rewrite it…about ten times. The clerk grew more and more deflated with each draft. ''I really hope I have it this time,'' he remarked anxiously. Judge Norris finally nodded, approved the work and praised the clerk's efforts.

''I said, 'Fine, now it's beginning to sing,''' he recalled. ''That was my test: did it sing?''

Clerks must be prepared for those kinds of high standards…and must be capable of humility when the job calls for it.

''It's very demanding,'' he said. ''It takes a lot of work. You have to be your own toughest critic. You have to leave your ego at the door and put it aside and be willing to mix it up.''

Above all, be yourself. Judge Norris received this very advice as a young Stanford Law graduate embarking on his interview for the clerkship with Justice Douglas. It worked for him. He also urges law school graduates to aim high, as he did, and to never sell themselves short.

''Work hard in law school, do your best, and be yourself,'' he said. ''Shoot high.''

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