Judge Pauline Newman, 96, allegedly had a clerk do errands like grocery shopping. It may be unethical, but it's not uncommon.

Thu, 08/17/2023 - 15:01

Judge Pauline Newman in her chambers. — Pauline Newman, a 96-year-old judge on the U.S. Court Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, with mementos in her office in Washington, DC.
Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Judge Pauline Newman is 96 and says colleagues are trying to force her out over petty complaints.
But she had an unnamed law clerk run errands and retaliated against an aide, an investigation found.
Legal commentators are split if Newman's use of a clerk is unethical or part of a tradition.

An influential 96-year-old appeals judge whose mental fitness for the job has been called into question had a law clerk do her grocery shopping and drive her to doctor appointments, according to a new decision.