Who Is … Learned Hand?
March 23rd, 2009
Billings Learned Hand (1872 – 1961) was a federal judge for the United States District Court in the Southern District of New York and later was the Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He was from a politically active family (historically Democrat) and a line of lawyers. Judge Hand dropped his given name of Billings early in life saying it was too pretentious. The judge was only passingly successful as a lawyer; it wasn’t until he was elevated to the level of federal judge that his critical thought, liberal bent and attitude of judicial restraint shone vibrantly.
