A judge should aspire to be perfectly predictable with respect to his or her methodology. That methodology, broadly described, is one of formalism—which manifests itself, most notably, in an originalist approach to constitutional cases and a textualist approach to statutory and regulatory cases. But if applying that methodology properly and honestly, the results of decisions should be at least somewhat unpredictable.
Members of the Case Western Reserve University community are invited to learn more about this concept during the Sumner Canary Memorial Lecture Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 4:30 p.m. at the School of Law. Judge Kevin C. Newsom will present “On Being Predictably Unpredictable.”