Jerome Simandle, left, and William Walls, right.

The past weeks have brought the loss of two giants of our federal bench, District Court Judge William H. Walls and former Chief Judge Jerome Simandle.

Appointed to the federal bench by President William Clinton in 1994, Walls was described at his confirmation hearing as the epitome of the American Dream. And he was. From humble beginnings in Atlantic City, he obtained scholarships to attend Dartmouth College and Yale Law School, ultimately becoming the second African American on our district court, following Anne E. Thompson. An iconoclast who brought wit and wisdom to his courtroom, he mentored many and was unfailingly devoted to equal justice for all who appeared before him.

Simandle was elevated to the district court in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush after service as a magistrate judge. Having clerked for Judge John F. Gerry years before, Simandle brought many of Gerry's qualities to his performance on the bench and his years as chief judge.  Humble, soft-spoken and inclusive, his intelligence was augmented with an easy wit, kindness and unwavering fairness to litigants and lawyers. Described by one of his colleagues as a “wonderful, kind, gentle” man, that view is universally shared.

We are blessed in New Jersey to have a very special federal bench with a history of equality, fairness and collegiality. Walls and Simandle will be remembered for their roles in continuing that tradition.