Furious Judge Lashes Out at Facebook for Letting Rookie Lawyer Handle Terrorism Case

A routine hearing in Brooklyn federal court took a dramatic turn Thursday when a furious judge accused Facebook and its defense lawyers of failing to take seriously enough the issue of online terrorism promotion. The judge’s eruption came in the middle of a scheduling conference over a pair of lawsuits brought by families of Israeli and American terrorism victims alleging that Facebook and its algorithms facilitate terrorism by acting as a “match-maker” for extremists. Addressing a young Kirkland & Ellis associate appearing before him, U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis said he was outraged that Facebook and its lawyers didn’t send a more seasoned attorney to the hearing.