Judge Rakoff was appointed United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York in 1996. He also is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Columbia Law School. Prior to his appointment, Judge Rakoff was partner at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP. He was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York from 1973 to 1980, and he was an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP from 1970 to 1972. Judge Rakoff was a law clerk to Hon. Abraham L. Freedman of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit from 1969 to 1970. He co-edited Modern Federal Jury Instructions. Judge Rakoff is a trustee of the William Nelson Cromwell Foundation, and he is a Judicial Fellow of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers.