Berman declined a request to be interviewed during the N.F.L. dispute. He told The New York Law Journal last year that he believed the role of a judge was to “justly” and “speedily” move civil cases to conclusion.

“This means that I pursue settlement options early and often; I try to rule on motions quickly; and I try not to waste any time at trial,” he said.

He also told the newspaper that he was “somewhat of a news/TV junkie” who, if not a judge, would probably continue in the media and communications business. Berman noted that he had been general counsel of Warner Cable and MTV Networks Inc. when pay-per-view was developed, the first videodisc jockeys were hired and the first music videos were released.

In 17 years on the bench, Berman has faced more than the usual caseload of famous and infamous defendants and has shown a knack for brushing aside distractions to resolve underlying legal issues. When he decides someone has abused the judicial system, he can be harsh.

In 2012, he gave a break to Cameron Douglas, the actor Michael Douglas’s son, sentencing him to five years in prison on drug charges after he cooperated with the government. But Berman later doubled the sentence to 10 years and scolded Cameron Douglas, calling him “destructive” and “manipulative” after he persuaded a lawyer turned love interest to sneak drugs into prison in her bra.

Perhaps his most challenging case came when Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist who trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University, was charged with shooting at F.B.I. agents and American soldiers at an Afghan police station in 2008. She punctuated her court appearances with outbursts that raised questions about her sanity and the likelihood of a trial. She was convicted and sentenced to 86 years in prison.

Sabrina Shroff, an assistant public defender who observed some Siddiqui proceedings, said Berman had “a knack for recognizing exactly what it takes to run a courtroom.”