Former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, left, and his attorney, Joel Cohen, of counsel at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, enter federal court on Monday, the first day of jury selection for Silver’s political corruption trial.

Southern District Judge Valerie Caproni and attorneys for both sides questioned dozens of potential jurors for bias, asking whether they could serve without severe hardship for a trial that could last up to six weeks. Caproni kept the attorneys into the evening as she tried to set up actual selection of 12 jurors who will hear opening arguments and evidence in the case on Tuesday.