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City Bar Unveils Portrait of Deborah Batts, the Late Federal Judge Remembered for Historic Firsts and Good Humor (New York Law Journal)
New York Law Journal, October 20, 2023
City Bar Unveils Portrait of Deborah Batts, the Late Federal Judge Remembered for Historic Firsts and Good Humor
Deborah Batts’ life was full of historic firsts—perhaps the best known is the fact that she was the first openly LGBT judge to be appointed to the federal bench, in 1994 to the Southern District of New York. But those who knew Batts well remember the trailblazing jurist as full of warmth and whimsy, her chambers stacked high with law books as well as toys and candy dispensers, her clothing choices often loose-fitting and adorned with cartoon characters.
