Our university’s guest lecturer, Frank LaBuda, is now a retired judge. He began his career as a military prosecutor in the United States Army in 1975. From 1978 to 1992, he was the Deputy District Attorney in Sullivan County, New York. His judicial career began in 1994 when he became a judge in the Town Court of Mamakating. He was elected to the Sullivan County Court in 1997. Ten years later, in 2007, he was appointed an Acting Supreme Court Justice of Sullivan County. During the Gulf War, he served as a major in the 301st Logistical Support Group in the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He also participated in the 2003 Iraq War. Our magazine primarily asked him about his professional career and motivations.
Could you share with our readers what attracted you to the legal profession as a beginner and what ultimately captivated you?
Helping people through legal processes was what originally sparked my interest. At the start of my career, I worked as a military prosecutor for three years. After that, I served as a state prosecutor for twelve years. I built my career on prosecuting criminals, those who broke the law, harmed others, sold drugs, and so on. After my experience as a prosecutor, I was elected as a judge, serving on the New York State Supreme Court, where I handled criminal and civil cases for 25 years. During this time, I developed an interest in learning about the legal systems of other countries and sharing the essence of American law with them. Over the past twelve years, I have visited numerous universities worldwide to speak to law students, judges, and attorneys about American prosecution, constitutional law, and judicial practices, sharing my decades of experience, just as I have done now at Ludovika.
Is there a case or decision from your judicial career that you are still proud of today?
Yes, of course, there is. I will mention an exemplary criminal case over which I presided as a judge. In this case, two people—a mother and her partner—were accused of torturing and killing the woman’s five-year-old child. At the end of the trial, I sentenced them to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, which means they must die in prison for their horrific crime and will never be released. This was essentially a substitute for the death penalty in the state of New York, as it was the highest sentence that could be given.
What advice would you give to young people starting their careers who, like you, want to help others in the field of law?
Well, practicing law certainly provides an opportunity to help others. Of course, it’s not the only way. For example, if someone chooses a medical career, they can help people in a different, more physical way. Or if a young person graduates from this university, where we are now talking, and goes into law enforcement, they will also protect and serve people through their profession. A career in law allows one to help individuals personally with their legal issues, and as a prosecutor, you can personally hold those accountable who break the law and harm others. If a young person asks me how much energy the job requires, I wouldn’t hide the fact that it is a very difficult path. Lawyers must work extremely hard. They don’t have fixed working hours or free weekends, as may be possible in many other jobs. It requires a great deal of time, emotional strength, and energy to do the job properly.
Is there a part of the judicial profession that you miss since your retirement?
I retired from my judicial position five years ago, but I did indeed miss the bustle of the courtroom. That’s why I returned to private law practice, where I handle many criminal cases as a private attorney, primarily defending those who have been falsely accused. This work is also very demanding and requires a lot of time. Once again, I work day and night, even on weekends. However, I am very fortunate that opportunities like the invitation from Ludovika occasionally find me. Thanks to such invitations, I can travel again, participate in programs in foreign countries, collaborate with other colleagues, and work with talented students, like those I had the chance to meet in Hungary.
What is it like to be on the other side in the courtroom?
Well, since I worked as a prosecutor for 12 years before my 25-year career as a judge, I can enjoy the other side as well, this time doing defense work. Now, I use my nearly 50 years of legal experience to benefit people on the defense side.
This isn’t your first visit to Hungary; you’ve previously been to Szeged and Debrecen. What are your impressions of this country and its university scene?
I have visited Hungary multiple times, and I always return with pleasure, so I have some insight to share about it. I enjoy being here because my Hungarian colleagues—lawyers, prosecutors, judges, and students—are very keen to learn how we do things in the United States. I like how they compare and examine how the Hungarian system could be improved based on this. In fact, they also see how we, in the United States, can develop our own legal system by adopting and applying many of the good practices found in Hungarian law.
Could you give one or perhaps more examples of good practices that the United States should consider examining or even adopting in its own system?
The latest example is your immigration and border protection policy, from which I believe we could learn a lot in the United States. Of course, this is a global issue—illegal immigration is a worldwide problem. It presents global challenges in protecting human rights, but it is equally important to protect the rights of Hungarian citizens as well as those of other countries. Additionally, I greatly appreciate the education system and career process here in Hungary, which involves much more training than what we have in the United States. You see, in the United States, it is very easy to progress. One first attends college, then takes an exam. After that, they go to law school, and upon graduation, they are already a lawyer. They can appear in court, but they have no experience and are not adequately trained, as they haven’t had the opportunity to go through a proper training period. I see this as a very serious problem in the legal profession in the United States, while you have already correctly addressed this issue here in Hungary.
Coverphoto: Frank LaBuda, source: Dénes Szilágyi
