Some judges might balk at having to preside over three trials in their first eight months on the bench. But Haywood Gilliam, who has overseen two jury trials and a bench trial since January, says he and his staff have been lucky to get the experience so quickly. During a recent interview in his chambers, the former Covington & Burling partner spoke about his accelerated start, his transition to the bench, and his relationship with Judge Thelton Henderson, for whom he served as a clerk.
You had experience as a federal prosecutor and as a big firm law partner before being appointed to the bench. How did those two experiences inform what you do now as a federal court judge? In many ways. In regards to the U.S. attorney’s office, I can think of a couple. One is that it was good to be in court a lot in that role and get a feel for everything about the rhythm of how our district operates. From trials to motions appearances before all the judges in the district, it was really a great opportunity to get to know all of the players in our court. I got to know the deputy clerks and the court reporters and still one of the things that’s fun in my job now is seeing all those faces, having the court reporters working on my matters and just being back in the federal family. As far as the defense work that I did, I think the biggest benefit has been having a window into what’s happening behind the curtain on the client side and being able to suss out what’s actually happening and what the motivations might be, what the pressures might be, what the strategic thinking might be. [That] has been helpful in reading between the lines now that I’m sitting on this side of the bench.
