DALE HO CONFIRMED AS UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT JUDGE

UPDATE: I posted this on December 18, 2021. Today (6/14/2023), Judge Ho was confirmed by the United States Senate. I look forward to Judge Ho dispensing justice with wisdom and mercy for many years to come as a District Court judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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One of the best decisions that President Biden has made was his nomination of Dale Ho to be a United States District Court Judge in the Southern District of New York. I echo every word of the ringing endorsement of Dale‘s nomination by many of my former colleagues.

I had the great privilege to work with Dale at Fried Frank in the early 2000s. Although I was senior to him, I quickly learned that I had a lot to learn from Dale. He was smart and wise and learned and funny (which matters when working around the clock for Big Law) and fundamentally decent.

After Dale took his position at the ACLU, our relationship largely took place over social media. I mention this because some Republicans have cited some of his tweets as the ostensible reason for their opposition to his nomination. Dale is committed to fairness. I would trust him with my life savings in unmarked $20 bills (not a very large pile). If some of his tweets seem over-the-top when taking out of context, I can tell you that they were funny largely because of the counterpoint to his dry sober demeanor.

You may notice that I have used Dale’s first name frequently in this column. This is a deliberate choice. After he is confirmed, I will never again call him “Dale”. As Judge Ho, he will become “Your Honor.” The word “honor” fits Dale like the judicial robes I hope he soon will wear.