Ready for the Rule of Law competition this upcoming month? Sponsored by the Supreme Court Historical Society, teens are invited to explore themes of justice, equity, fairness, rules, and/or laws in any (or all) of three genres: personal narrative; opinion writing; and creative writing (e.g. poetry, fiction, screenwriting). This year’s personal narrative entries will be reviewed by guest judge The Honorable Seth Aframe, a federal judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Judge Aframe recently shared thoughts on how writers might approach this topic, a few book recommendations, and more.
Writing is a big part of being a lawyer. Could you tell us about how writing has played a role in your career?
Writing has, of course, been an essential part of my career. I started as an appellate lawyer and along the way also became a trial lawyer before becoming a judge. I have written thousands of pages of legal briefs and memoranda and now I write opinions almost every day. Legal writing has taught me how to think. As I transitioned to more in-court oral advocacy during my career, I learned that my skill at writing taught me how to present arguments logically even when I was doing so orally. In short, to write well is to think well, which is the key skill that a lawyer brings to the table.
You’ll be reading personal narratives written by young people about their experiences with the rule of law. How would you advise them to go about identifying a topic that is rich enough to reflect on?
The key goal is to define in your own mind what you mean by “rule of law.” Unfortunately, the phrase has become a rallying cry for anything a person thinks is wrong. All sides in the political debates tend to accuse the other side of forsaking the rule of law when something goes against their desires. That can't be what it means. Thus, to have a meaningful reflection the writer will need to have a meaningful understanding of the term. Therefore, before identifying the anecdote, I would spend time developing a personal understanding of “rule of law” as that understanding should make it easier to identify a rich topic for the essay.
Writing in law often entails writing legal opinions. What do you think is the value of law showing up in other genres, like personal narratives?
Law is what knits our society together. What is understood to be acceptable usually appears in law even though its origin lies within how we relate to one another. Law creates many of the rituals that binds us together (e.g., graduation after 12 grades of school). Thus, law is much more than the way we resolve disputes; it sets the boundaries for society. Thus, it is unsurprising that law appears in most areas of writing including fiction and personal narrative, which are often about our own place in the society in which we live.
"Law is what knits our society together."
-Judge Aframe
You volunteer for a program that offers students in grades 5-12 an inside look into how the court system works. How can young people get involved in conversations around justice and the rule of law, even when they’re too young to vote?
The programs in which I am involved ask students to play an actual role in the courtroom. They are judges, lawyers, or witnesses and are asked to grapple with real (and often) difficult facts from both sides of an argument. By causing students to take a side in an argument (which may not be the side they would have chosen) they begin to see the complexity of legal debates. That process both stirs conversation and respect for the other side's position — key outcomes in our increasingly polarized country.
Do you have any book recommendations for young people who are interested in law and justice?
Simple Justice by Richard Kluger
Devil in the Grove by Gilbert King
All The King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
What are you looking for in a winning entry? Any other advice for the writers, especially those who are new to thinking and writing about rule of law?
A winning essay would first grapple with the concept of rule of law. As I indicated in my earlier response, the phrase does not have a uniform meaning. Therefore, a key step is articulating the meaning of the phrase and its importance. From there, the goal is to identify an aspect of the writer's life that ties into the writer's definition of the term.
About Judge Seth Aframe
Judge Aframe was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in May 2024. He received his undergraduate degree from Tufts University in 1996 and graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1999. Following graduation, Judge Aframe clerked for Justice Judith A. Cowin on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. He then practiced employment law at the Boston law firm of Choate, Hall & Stewart from 2000-2003. In 2003, Judge Aframe moved to New Hampshire to clerk for First Circuit Judge Jeffrey R. Howard. In 2007, Judge Aframe began work at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. He worked in that Office until his appointment to the Court, serving as the appellate chief and chief of the criminal division.
Thank you to the Supreme Court Historical Society for sponsoring this competition. The Supreme Court Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to preserving and collecting the history of the United States Supreme Court, increasing public awareness of the Court's contribution to the constitutional heritage of the United States, and acquiring knowledge covering the history of the entire Judicial Branch. Learn more at supremecourthistory.org and explore resources at civics.supremecourthistory.org.
