Challenging Cases: Judges Tell the Stories of High-Profile and Other Tough Cases
Russell F. Canan, Gregory E. Mize, and Frederick H. Weisberg discuss their book *Challenging Cases*, a collection of firsthand accounts from judges who presided over highly publicized and unusually difficult trials. The conversation examines how judges approach cases shaped not only by legal complexity but also by intense public scrutiny.
The book features contributions from more than a dozen judges serving in California, the District of Columbia, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Virginia, Washington State, and Kosovo. Cases discussed include Roger Clemens’s perjury trial, the sentencing of January 6 rioters, the prosecution of Dr. Larry Nassar for sexually abusing female athletes, a Kosovo international war-crimes trial, and the Johnny Depp trial. The event follows Canan, Mize, and Weisberg’s earlier book, *Tough Cases*, which explored the decision-making behind some of judges’ hardest rulings.
When: Saturday, September 5, 2026
Showtimes: 3:00 p.m.
Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Speakers: Russell F. Canan, Gregory E. Mize, and Frederick H. Weisberg
About the speakers: Canan, Mize, and Weisberg are all senior judges on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Canan is also an adjunct professor at George Washington University Law School; Mize teaches as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center; and Weisberg taught for many years at Harvard Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop.
Tickets: Free
Seating: Seating is first come, first served.
Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask accessibility questions, email events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. The venue will try to accommodate requests made closer to the event as well.
Related book: *Challenging Cases: Judges Tell the Stories of High-Profile and Other Tough Cases*, edited by Canan, Mize, and Weisberg, is available in hardcover for $27.99. It was published July 14, 2026.