Ronald Dworkin

Ronald Dworkin has died.

This incident reminded me of the following story:

A few years ago Dworkin wrote a remembrance of Learned Hand, for whom Dworkin clerked. At the time Dworkin was engaged, and he was keen to know if Hand was going to follow the policy of other judges in Hand’s circuit, which was to use their government-funded administrative budgets to give clerks a bonus in the form of a month’s extra salary at the end of the clerk’s term. So Dworkin inquired anxiously of the judge if he could expect to receive the bonus.

Hand explained to Dworkin that he disapproved of this practice, because he thought it was wasting taxpayer dollars, and that it was especially unjustifiable in his case, since Hand had already taken senior status, and was technically retired.

Shortly afterwards Dworkin sent Hand an invitation to his wedding. Hand’s reply included a personal check, equal to a month of Dworkin’s salary.