WASHINGTON — There were few liberals and just one woman on the federal appeals court in Chicago when Diane P. Wood, an antitrust expert with a flair for foreign language and an ear for playing the oboe, showed up in the summer of 1995. The chief judge, a scholarly conservative named Richard A. Posner, promptly gave her some advice.
The appeals bench, Judge Posner warned, was like “a system of arranged marriage with no divorce.” His message to his junior colleague was clear: Pick your battles carefully. Compromise when you can.
Full story: In Judicial Bouts, Diane Wood Shows a Persuasive Punch – NYTimes.com