When Justice Is the Family Business

Thacher’s annual Orrick Lecture was all in the family this year as Judge William Orrick III delivered his contribution to the speaker series named in honor of his father, William Orrick Jr. CdeP 1932. No stranger to Thacher himself, Judge Orrick is the father of Kaggie Orrick CdeP 2006 and the uncle of Laurel Peterson CdeP 2002, former faculty member Whitney Livermore CdeP 2004, and William Peterson CdeP 2008.

After an introduction by Jina ’20, the judge presented a talk entitled An Orrick’s Lecture, in which he shared stories about his path to becoming a judge, a role he considers “the best job ever.” He also reminded students that they are not the first generation to face turbulent times, describing some of his experiences during the “wild, crisis-filled times” of the ‘60s and ’70s. With nods to Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, Orrick spoke of “the fierce urgency of now” and shared his personal judicial mantra: “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly.”

Since 2013, Judge Orrick has served on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, as did his father before him. Among his more notable decisions was the one in 2017 that stayed the Trump administration’s executive order to withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities, which he concluded was unconstitutional. 

Prior to holding a seat on the district court, Judge Orrick served as deputy attorney general for the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. During his remarks he also touched on the work he did right after law school with the Georgia Legal Services Program serving low-income communities.

After the lecture, the audience migrated to the dining hall to continue the conversation over Formal Dinner. Those interested in further discussion reconvened in the Thacher Room following dinner for some informal Q&A with the judge.

The Orrick Lecture Series, established in 2005, was made possible by a generous donation from Suzanne Orrick in memory of her late husband, former U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick Jr. CdeP 1932. Judge Orrick had been a longstanding and loyal devotee and supporter of the The Thacher School throughout his life. The lecture series aims to educate students about the U.S. legal system, jurisprudence, and the public service done by attorneys and judges so that our graduates may serve their communities and make a difference in the world after their time at Thacher. Every year brings a new theme, but the judge’s favorite ice cream bar is always served at the end of the night.