With federal judges in the news, I can't help thinking about one we lost too soon, the Honorable John E. Sprizzo, U.S.D.J. of the Southern District of New York, who left us 10 years ago this December.  I had the honor of clerking for the Judge from 2004-2006.

Like many law clerks, I entered my clerkship as a kid, directly out of law school.  And probably like many clerks, I was worried about whether I was smart enough to clerk on one of the most prestigious trial courts in the country.  I shouldn't have been.  From the moment I stepped into the courtroom, it was clear that the Judge was in total control and that my primary responsibility was to learn.

Looking back at those years, what strikes me is how much the Judge loved the law, lawyers and the legal profession.  Although the judge was brilliant enough to be a great circuit judge, he rarely sat by designation and would have hated the relative monotony and quiet of appellate work.  It was the bustle of the courtroom, the interaction with the lawyers and the endless stream of new cases that really interested him.

Although I worked on some big cases, my clerkship stands out for my experiences outside of the courtroom.  Far from being treated as simply an employee, I instantly became a member of the family, and I often spent time with the judge's family, friends and former clerks.  I frequently ate dinner with the judge at his favorite restaurants.  Even now, when I go to the city, I eat at those same places and order the food the Judge so loved at each.  After all, the judge, who was a true lover of food, was right—one place has the best veal cutlets and another the best chopped steak.  The real draw, however, is that I can still see and hear the Judge at those restaurants—full of life, as always.

The judge also shared with me his love of various other pursuits.  We donned tuxedos for the opera and placed bets at the racetrack.  On Sundays, the judge frequently took me to Jets games, followed, of course, by evening mass.  Some would find all of these interests incongruous.  But not the judge.  Like a thirteenth century philosopher, he saw the beauty of God's creation in everything.

I oftentimes try to think about all of the things I learned in those years.  But they weren't really pearls of wisdom so much as life lessons made a part of me forever.  One teaching, however, stands out.  The judge would frequently tell me that we should first make decisions with our head, to determine what was smart and rational.  But we should not forget to run those decisions by our heart, to make sure they were the right things to do.  It's a lesson I'll teach my daughters, and it's a shame the judge is no longer here to pass it on to more kids like me.  Judge Sprizzo, you are dearly missed.

John Romano is an assistant United States attorney in the District of New Jersey.