Each month, The Federalist Society’s national organization hosts a zoom series called SOC! SIDEBAR, which features a federal judge being interviewed by a Student Chapter President about the judgen’s hobby and how it relates to law. On Tuesday, January 14, Gerald Sharpe, president of CatholicLaw’s Federalist Society Chapter, interviewed Judge Lawrence VanDyke of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, about physical fitness.

During the interview, Judge VanDyke described his active childhood, which included a lifestyle filled with chores, outdoor activities, and hunting and fishing, though he didn't focus on formal fitness. He explained how his athletic journey evolved from playing basketball in high school and college before he shifted his focus to Taekwondo.

The conversation then turned to how Judge VanDyke’s experiences with sports and fitness have shaped his career as a lawyer. He shared stories of how sports taught him important life lessons, including teamwork, resilience, and discipline. He emphasized how physical training has contributed to building a resilient mindset, which carries over into his professional and spiritual life. Judge VanDyke explained, “There is a saying that the more busy you are, the more you should be praying. The same could be said for lawyers and physical fitness—we’re all very busy, and if you're too busy to get regular exercise, then you're too busy not to be getting regular exercise.”

Throughout the interview, Judge VanDyke underscored the importance of balance and discussed the positive mental and physical effects that regular exercise has had on him, both personally and professionally. He spoke about the importance of faith throughout his life, saying “it’s a grounding force for me, a big part of that is I try to have a devotional or prayer time on a daily basis.” He credited his daily devotional time, similar to his daily fitness time, to nurturing a healthy life. Judge VanDyke also gave a tour of his in-chambers gym set up live on the Zoom during the interview.

Sharpe noted that we were “very honored to be one of a handful of FedSoc chapters in the nation to participate in this Zoom series, especially with Judge VanDyke, a titan of the federal bench and a great mentor to many. It is yet another sign of CatholicLaw’s skyrocketing national reputation.”

Watch Sharpe and Judge VanDyke’s conversation below: