Judge Dale Ho Details Challenges of Joining US District Court

Dale Ho, a new federal judge in New York, said it’s been a challenge adjusting to the rhythm and processes of the federal court, admitting that he’s “definitely experienced a bit of imposter syndrome.”

“It’s really been quite a learning curve because there is so much new, not just substantively, but just the cadence of the job, the mechanics of the court, the expectations of litigants in areas that I don’t have a lot of experience in,” Ho said Wednesday during a New York City Bar Association event.

The judge, who was confirmed by the Senate last June and received his commission in August to a seat on the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, recounted that US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor said during a recent judicial conference that it takes about three to five years for new judges to go from feeling like they’re drowning to treading water.

Ho had about 370 civil cases reassigned to him from other judges.

“There’s just a lot more kind of everyday tending to the garden of docket management and dealing with quick endorsements and case management shifts that parties want,” Ho said.

It’s a lot, he added, saying that he prefers to hire law clerks that have a few years of experience practicing law to help with the work.

“It’s very helpful to have a law clerk who’s practiced a little bit before doing that,” he said. “I think right out of law school, you don’t know that the extension of discovery that the parties are seeking or change in sequencing of case management that the parties want makes sense.”

Ho, who spent about 15 years as a civil rights lawyer, said presiding over criminal cases is one of the biggest challenges he’s experienced since joining the federal bench, noting he only worked on maybe three criminal appeals cases in practice.

“I didn’t have experiential knowledge of criminal procedure at the trial level,” he said. It’s been a learning experience, Ho added.

The judge said he’s learned a lot from his colleagues, noting that the court has a “great orientation program.”

“I’ve been struck by how collegial everyone is,” Ho said. “It’s not cliquey. People are talking across age and administrations.”

Judges who are new to Southern District of New York—nicknamed baby judges—also get to attend a two-part training that Ho likened to a school or boot camp for new judges. He plans to attend the first part of the training in September.