Sánchez Accepts “Awesome Responsibility” As First Latino Chief Judge in Eastern District of PA The Hon. Juan Sánchez L’81 made history in August when he became the first Latino chief judge in the 229-year existence of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “It’s an awesome responsibility,” Judge Sánchez said, adding that he is cognizant of the need to excel as the first Latino in his position who is also following a long line of venerable predecessors. As chief judge, he oversees the budget and operations of the Court, including the Clerk’s office, the Probation Office and the Pretrial Services Office. He also serves as a point of contact between the Court and outside groups, including law enforcement and other courts. Not to mention that Judge Sánchez — who teaches law courses at Villanova and Temple law schools as well another class for Temple undergraduates — has to maintain his own docket. Judge Sánchez said he’d like to focus on making sure the Court
operates efficiently and takes care to spend taxpayer dollars wisely. He’s also interested in increasing jury diversity and said he’d like to put together an educational program for communities in the district. “Our jury system is a big part of what we do,” Judge Sánchez said. “When people participate, it allows for better understanding and builds trust in our system.” He’d also like to improve the Court’s pro se law clerk program, which often handles habeas corpus petitions and prisoner civil rights cases. “We need help reviewing the massive files that come along,” he said, adding the Court currently has at least 26 active capital habeas corpus cases. Judge Sánchez, 62, is humble about his new role, saying he happens to be the most senior judge in the district under the age of 65, which is the standard for choosing a new chief. After graduating from Penn Law, he served two years as a Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellow at Legal Aid of Chester County. The only Spanish-speaking lawyer in the office, he worked largely with migrant workers on housing, health and employment issues. He remained in Chester County as an assistant public defender for 14 years while also working part-time at night in civil practice. In 1998, he became a state judge in Chester County’s Court of Common Pleas. President George W. Bush nominated him to the federal bench in 2003, and he was confirmed without opposition in 2004. In 2016, U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts appointed him a member of the Judicial Conference of the United States’ Committee on Defender Services. Judge Sánchez said the key to his success, dating back to the time when he was 12 and moved from Puerto Rico to New York City, has
WHEN PEOPLE PARTICIPATE, IT ALLOWS FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND BUILDS TRUST IN OUR SYSTEM.” T H E HONOR A BL E J UA N S Á NC H E Z L’ 81
been his constant pursuit of knowledge in preparation for his next big opportunity. Baseball has also played an integral role in his life. As a teen, it was his social silver bullet. “The kids called me all kinds of names until they discovered I was a good athlete,” Judge Sánchez said. “It was sort of a pathway to become accepted and become part of a group and thrive.” “It gave me great discipline, and the understanding I had to work hard to win and distinguish myself and also belong and contribute to making the team successful,” he said. He now enjoys watching his grandchildren play organized baseball. Judge Sánchez said he relishes his new role, despite the immense responsibilities: “The cases are significant and pretty interesting,” he said. “It keeps you on your toes.”