Catch a Movie With Kozinski: Judge Hosts Movie Nights in 9th Cir.

If you need something to do on a slow night, consider heading down the Ninth Circuit -- for a movie. That's right, the halls of justice aren't just for deciding cases, they also host regular movie screenings put together by judge Alex Kozinski.

The Los Angeles Times provided a glimpse behind the scenes of one screening, in a piece published on Thursday. Kozinski provides the film and booze for free, but the pizza will cost you $10. The judge claims to do the shopping with his administrative assistant and describes the nights as way to keep in touch with the court's community.

Kozinski Might Not Be the Biggest Name in the Room

Regular attendees include lawyers, students and court staff, but can often involve special guest appearances by directors, actors, and other headline makers. Our very own Mark Wilson has gone several times -- he recommends trying Mrs. Kozinski's salad. Other guests have included Peter Fonda and Clint Eastwood.

Often, the events won't end when the credits roll, as the judge and other celebrities stay to discuss the film and take questions from the audience.

No Stranger to the Silver Screen

Though his jurisdiction covers all of the Ninth Circuit, Kozinski has a quintessentially Californian relationship with Hollywood. When his family migrated from Romania to California, his parents, Holocaust survivors, took up residence in Tinsel Town, operating a grocery store across the street from ABC Studios. The future judge didn't just admire stars from afar, however. He joined them. Kozinski appeared on "The Dating Game," as well as three T.V. documentaries. He even played a judge in the much-panned Atlas Shrugged trilogy.

The movie nights have been going on for years now, allowing Kozinksi to present quite a few films. If you're looking for something to binge on this weekend, here's a few select showings, gleaned from the Times. You won't have Kozinski there to entertain you in person, but you can curl up next to a few of his more memorable opinions and pretend.

Kozinski's Playlist:

• Cabaret
• The Man Who Would Be King
• Twelve Angry Men
• Thank You for Smoking
• The Sessions
• Easy Rider
• La Mission
• Gran Torino
• Tim's Vermeer

Related Resources:

• Lawyers' Nightmare: When 9th Circuit Chief Judge Kozinski is Class Objector (Reuters)
• Letter Besmirching Kozinski Asks: Can a Chief Judge Be a Litigant? (FindLaw's U.S. Ninth Circuit Blog)
• SCOTUS Takes 'Raging Bull' Case; Does 9th Cir. Favor Hollywood? (FindLaw's U.S. Ninth Circuit Blog)
• Ethics Panel Slaps Chief Judge Alex Kozinski with a Wet Noodle for His Porn Collection (FindLaw's Courtside)