Judges as Newsmakers

When Texas cattlemen sued Oprah Winfrey 10 years ago, alleging that she illegally had disparaged beef during her television talk show, the case quickly became a top national news story. As the litigation unfolded, the media focused attention, not only on the parties, but also on the presiding judge, the Hon. Mary Lou Robinson of the U.S. Northern District of Texas - Amarillo Division. The media, however, were interested in more than Judge Robinson's decisions from the bench. As it turned out, they even wanted to know what she ate for lunch.The cattlemen's case against Winfrey and the intense media attention it attracted illustrate how, anytime, anywhere, a judge might become a newsmaker. The case also serves as a basis for considering how judges generally may best prepare for the possibility that they someday will make headlines