Tribute by Lawrence Ponoroff
Judge Martin L.C. Feldman (or more informally, if I may, Marty) is more than just a distinguished alumnus of Tulane Law School. We are blessed with many of those. We take pride in all of their accomplishments, and as an institution we share vicariously in their successes. But, with all due respect and credit to those other many alumni and all they have done for the school, Marty Feldman is rivaled by only a special few. His professional accomplishments, and his commitment to justice and a just system, are well known, and they are fittingly chronicled without hyperbole in Justice Antonin Scalia's and Professor Tony Weir's tributes to Judge Feldman in this issue of the Tulane Law Review. Indeed, the very fact that such prestigious individuals have happily agreed to share their testimony about Marty in this issue itself speaks volumes about what he has meant to the profession, to the federal judiciary, and to the faithful safeguarding and advancement of the rule of law in this country and beyond. However, from my admittedly more parochial perspective, Marty stands out because of his deep and long-standing commitment to Tulane Law School and because of our personal friendship.
I readily acknowledge that I have never had to appear before Marty in his courtroom, and, given his reputation for being scrupulously fair but extremely demanding of the lawyers that do try cases before him, I cannot honestly say I regret having missed that experience. What I am very grateful for is having had the opportunity to work closely with Marty on a variety of projects and to come to know him as a person. Smart, urbane, well-read, witty, and sartorially attired, Marty can seem a bit intimidating from a distance. But up close and beneath that dignified, stately exterior and personification of judicial politesse, is one of the most decent and caring men I've had the privilege to know.
About the Author
Lawrence Ponoroff. Dean and Mitchell Franklin Professor of Private and Commercial Law, Tulane University School of Law.
Citation
78 Tul. L. Rev. 503 (2004)