Judge Roy Altman in Conversation: Israel on Trial

Roy K. Altman is a United States District Judge and a nationally recognized voice whose work brings clarity and rigor to some of the most complicated legal questions facing our society today. He has presided over dozens of trials, issued thousands of federal rulings, and earned a reputation for fairness, analytical precision, and intellectual discipline.

A graduate of Yale Law School and a former editor of the Yale Law Journal, he is an award-winning writer and commentator. His work on the rule of law, on Israel and antisemitism, and on the American legal order has appeared in leading publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The National Review, RealClear Politics, Quillette, and the Miami Herald, earning recognition for its command of both history and legal doctrine.

Before taking the bench, Altman served as a decorated federal prosecutor trying complex cases involving international crime and human trafficking and twice received the Department of Justice’s highest honor. He was also named Federal Prosecutor of the Year. Later, as the youngest partner at a prestigious litigation firm, Altman represented clients in some of the most high-profile cases in the world, including most of the families whose loved ones were killed in the Malaysian jet that disappeared over the Indian Ocean. His writing draws on that experience to confront the widespread misapplication of international law to Israel.