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Federal Judges Releasing Music Video About COVID Is Officially The Last Thing You Expected From 2020

This is a welcome suprise.

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Above the Law has witnessed some things in the legal universe, but no one saw “federal judges film a music video of their Broadway tribute to fighting the global pandemic,” and yet here we are. The year 2020 has thrown us very few positives, but at least we have this moment. We didn’t have a Law Revue competition this year because… [gestures at everything], but I think this satisfies whatever itch readers might have had without that contest.

For a virtual meeting of the local chapter of the Federal Bar Association, Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and Judge Charles Eskridge of the Southern District of Texas performed a COVID-inspired rendition of “We’ll Be Back,” their take on “You’ll Be Back” from Hamilton on behalf of the Houston and Galveston federal judges. Hey, at this point if any Republicans are just willing to admit COVID exists they get a pass.

The song they’re parodying — for the five people left who haven’t seen Hamilton — is King George III’s theme song. Uh oh. Don’t tell the FEDERALIST Society that this kind of apostasy is happening with its own judges. On the other hand, Hamilton and the Federalists wanted to install a new monarch so maybe this hews closer to that “original public meaning” of the term than they’re usually willing to admit.

Folks, they’ve got jokes! Lots of them actually. The work that went into these lyrics is truly laudable.

But it’s not all doom and gloom
We’ll just see you on Zoom./
October, November, December, and perhaps the New Year…/
We’ll Be Back…

And Judge Elrod’s performance is great, but Judge Eskridge gets top honors for fully capturing the original King George performance with the same sort of smug carriage Jonathan Groff gave the original. There are points where he looks over at Judge Elrod — who is presumably not even in the same room — and nods and it just absolutely kills comedically.

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This, by the way, is what happens when Law Revue people grow up. Over the years, I’ve established myself as the Simon Cowell of that competition because I think most of the videos we get are bad karaoke jobs strung together by amateur production values. But when I see something genuinely great I’m the first one on board.

Friends, this is genuinely great.

HeadshotJoe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.

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