IGP and Columbia Law School Host Discussion on Judging and the Rule of Law
On October 21, the Institute of Global Politics (IGP) and Columbia Law School cohosted a discussion with the Honorable Roy K. Altman of the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, moderated by David Schizer, dean emeritus of Columbia Law School. Their conversation explored the rule of law, public service, and the role of universities as spaces of democratic engagement in America today.
The event, “Judging and the Rule of Law,” saw Judge Altman return to campus as an IGP Carnegie Distinguished Fellow and marked a continued collaboration among IGP, SIPA, and the Law School. Dean Schizer opened by addressing the First Amendment’s role on college campuses. Both speakers stressed that universities should serve as arenas for open and, when necessary, uncomfortable discussions. “Students should feel free to express themselves publicly,” Judge Altman said, “but that right does not extend to acts of vandalism or attacks on minorities.” Altman cautioned against the selective application of constitutional principles. “It’s not acceptable to hold yourself to the First Amendment standard only when it favors one group or cause,” he said.
Schizer added that protecting the right to protest is fundamental to preserving freedom of speech, and Altman pointed out that disruptions can easily undermine debate. Citing the concept of the so-called heckler’s veto, Altman noted that in Venezuela, the government has used disruption as a tool to silence opposition. “Disruption,” he said, “prevents speech rather than promoting it.”
Altman also shared a personal reflection about the erosion of the rule of law in Venezuela, where his grandparents lived. While visiting them, he recalled, he ended up in the middle of mass protests that broke out over a Supreme Court decision allowing then-President Hugo Chávez to seek indefinite re-election. Altman remembered that his grandfather pointed to the protesting crowds and told him, “This is what happens when good people don’t serve.” That experience, Altman said, inspired him to pursue a career in public service – a path rooted in the defense of democratic institutions and the rule of law.
Altman concluded his remarks by urging students to consider making their careers in public service, warning that the private legal sector, while lucrative, often comes with high rates of burnout, addiction, and personal struggle. “The public sector needs smart, ambitious people,” he said. “You’re the ones who will uphold democracy, the rule of law, and foreign relations.”
Dean Schizer echoed this sentiment as the event drew to a close. In a country governed by the rule of law, he said, “We have the privilege to do what we choose to do – not out of necessity, but out of desire.”