NAWJ President Judge Amy L. Nechtem, Massachusetts Juvenile Court, will preside over the Conference. Judge Nechtem invites the members of the legal community and all interested persons to attend the Conference. "The National Association of Women Judges continues to focus on its mission to serve as the leading voice for women jurists throughout the nation. And in this era of fiscal challenges in our courts, we will vigorously marshal the resources of the NAWJ and the commitment of over 1250 judges nationally to ensure the delivery of equal justice and access to our courts," stated President Nechtem.
Members and Guests will have the privilege of hearing Justice Kagan speak about her experience as a member of the Supreme Court of the United States. Also, there will be a presentation of the NAWJ Justice Elena Kagan Scholarship Award to a deserving law school student. Prior to the conversation with Justice Kagan, Judge Nancy Gertner (Ret), U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts will be the Keynote Luncheon speaker on the topic of Choice Feminism and the Revolution of Declining Expectations. The Conference will include an educational program and a reception will follow at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
Attendees will include judges from across the nation and leaders from the academic, legal and business communities.
For registration information, please visit our website: www.nawj.org or call our National Office in Washington, D.C., phone: 202-393-0222 or email: mkomisar@nawj.org.
About the National Association of Women Judges
Founded in 1979, NAWJ is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization committed to providing a national voice for federal, state, military, administrative and tribal women jurists at all levels of the judiciary. It is dedicated to ensuring equal justice and access to the courts for women, minorities and other historically disfavored groups. Its mission includes providing judicial education on cutting-edge issues affecting these groups; increasing the numbers and advancement of women judges at all levels of the judiciary; and defending and preserving judicial independence.
10/15/2011 - MASSACHUSETTS JUVENILE COURT JUDGE AMY L. NECHTEM SWORN IN AS 32ND PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN (Newark, New Jersey) - Massachusetts Juvenile Court Judge Amy L. Nechtem was sworn as President of the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ), the nation’s leading voice for women jurists. An active member since 2002, she served in several board officer roles and served on numerous committees throughout her years in the Association. She becomes NAWJ’s 32nd President.
Judge Nechtem was appointed to the Massachusetts Juvenile Court in the fall of 2001. Prior to her appointment, Judge Nechtem served in the Suffolk County District Attorney's in Boston as a lead prosecutor of a Major Felony Team and of a Child Abuse Unit. She has also served in the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office and, for a time, in private practice. Judge Nechtem was recently awarded the Judicial Excellence Award for the Juvenile Court by the state's professional judicial organization, the Massachusetts Judges Conference.
Judge Nechtem attended Simmons College and Suffolk University Law School, both in Boston, Massachusetts. She proudly hails from Chelsea, a diverse, dynamic little city directly on the outskirts of Boston proper. She shares the honor of her presidency with her daughter, Kate, also an attorney in Boston.
Judge Nechtem said, “We must never lose sight of our mission to protect the rights of individuals under our rule of law to ensure equal access to justice for all. These are not just words. Our success is evident in our outstanding programs and committee work performed for over 33 years by our devoted membership across this great country. It is an understatement to say that I am honored to be your president and will work diligently to raise awareness, to educate and to effect positive changes for our populations at risk".
Judge Amy L. Nechtem’s term of office as NAWJ President began on October 16, 2011. She will serve for one year. For more on the National Association of Women Judges, visit www.nawj.org.
**
About the National Association of Women Judges
NAWJ was founded by two visionary women, California Appeals Court Justices Joan Dempsey Klein and Vaino Spencer (Retired). Since 1979, the National Association of Women Judges has fought to preserve judicial independence, ensure equal justice and access to the courts for women, minorities and other historically disfavored groups, increase the numbers and advancement of women judges at all levels, and provide cutting-edge judicial education.
NAWJ’s diverse membership include women and men at all levels of the federal, state, trial, military and administrative judiciary from nearly every state in the nation, as well as attorneys, law clerks, and law clerks also committed to our mission of diversity and equality in the system of justice.
NAWJ takes pride in its accomplishments. We were at the forefront in the establishment and implementation of gender bias task forces in both federal and state courts. We advanced the administration of justice in areas of domestic violence, child support and child custody, and the treatment of women in the courts of America. We are committed to our efforts in educating judges on bioethics, elder abuse, sentencing of women offenders with substance abuse problems, conditions for women in prison, and the problems facing immigrants in our court system.
In addition to addressing these and other important issues, NAWJ, through our conferences and events, provides an opportunity for judges to meet and discuss professional challenges and issues of mutual concern in an atmosphere of warm collegiality.
For more information contact Marie Komisar 202-393-0222 ext 10.
10/15/2011 - NAWJ ANNOUNCES ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP FOR 2011-2012 (Newark, New Jersey) - The National Association of Women Judges swore in officers for its 2011-2012 year at its Annual Business Meeting on Saturday October 15th at Newark’s venerable Don Pepe. The forward looking announcement was made nearing the end of one of the Association’s most well attended conferences - Global Women’s Issues. NAWJ’s 33rd Annual Conference was held in downtown Newark, New Jersey from October 12-16, 2011, at venues including Rutgers School of Law-Newark, Seton Hall University Law School, Essex County Historic Courthouse, the District Court for the District of New Jersey, The Newark Club and the Hilton Hotel. The Annual Business Meeting recognizes the Association’s year of achievements, and formally inducts new Board members for the upcoming year.
All newly elected and continuing officers may be found in the list below.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN JUDGES 2011-2012 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President
Hon. Amy L. Nechtem
Massachusetts Juvenile Court
Boston, MA
President-Elect
Hon. Joan V. Churchill
Immigration Court (Retired)
Chevy Chase, MD
Vice President, Districts
Hon. Tanya R. Kennedy
Civil Court, New York, NY
Vice President, Publications
Hon. Anna Blackburne-Rigsby
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Washington, D.C.
Treasurer
Hon. Julie E. Frantz
Multnomah County Circuit Court
Portland, OR
Secretary
Hon. Maritza Segarra
Geary County District Court
Junction City, KS
Immediate Past President
Hon. Marjorie Laird Carter
Orange County Superior Court
Newport Beach, CA
Finance Committee Chair
Hon. Susan Criss
212th District Court of Galveston County
Galveston, TX
Projects Committee Chair
Hon. Sheri S. Roman
Appellate Division, 2nd Department
Kew Gardens, NY
DISTRICT DIRECTORS
District 1 (ME, MA, NH, PR, RI)
Hon. Ariane Vuono
Massachusetts Appeals Court
Boston, MA
District 2 (CT, NY, VT)
Hon. Phyllis Orlikoff Flug
New York State Supreme Court
Jamaica, NY
District 3 (DE, NJ, PA, Virgin Islands)
Hon. Sandra Robinson
New Jersey Administrative Law Court
Newark, NJ
District 4 (DC, MD, VA)
Hon. Claudia Barber
District of Columbia Office of Administrative Hearings
Washington, D.C.
District 5 (FL, GA, NC, SC)
Hon. Lisa S. Walsh
Circuit Court for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit
Miami, FL
District 6 (AL, LA, MS, TN)
Hon. Mary Hotard Becnel
40th Judicial District Court
Edgard, LA
District 7 (MI, OH, WV)
Hon. Katherine L. Hansen
36th District Court, Detroit, MI
District 8 (IL, IN, KY)
TBD
District 9 (IA, MO, WI)
Hon. Anne Walsh Bradley
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Madison, WI
District 10 (KS, MN, NE, ND, SD)
Hon. Renee Worke
Minnesota Court of Appeals
St. Paul, MN
District 11 (AR, OK, TX)
Hon. Orlinda Naranjo
419th District Court
Austin, TX
District 12 (AZ, CO, NM, UT, WY)
Hon. Ann Scott Timmer
Court of Appeals, Division 1
Phoenix, AZ
District 13 (AK, HI, ID, MT, WA, OR)
Hon. Marilyn G. Paja
Kitsap County District Court
Port Orchard, WA
District 14 (CA, NV)
Hon. Diana Becton
Contra Costa Superior Court
Martinez, CA
SPECIAL DIRECTORS
International Director through 5/5/12
Hon. Sue Pai Yang
NJ Workers' Compensation Court
Newark, New Jersey
International Director beginning 5/6/12
Hon. Ann Walsh Bradley
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Madison, Wisconsin
ABA Delegate
Hon. Fernande R.V. Duffly
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Boston, MA
***
About the National Association of Women Judges
NAWJ was founded by two visionary women, California Appeals Court Justices Joan Dempsey Klein and Vaino Spencer (Retired). Since 1979, the National Association of Women Judges has fought to preserve judicial independence, ensure equal justice and access to the courts for women, minorities and other historically disfavored groups, increase the numbers and advancement of women judges at all levels, and provide cutting-edge judicial education.
NAWJ’s diverse membership include women and men at all levels of the federal, state, trial, military and administrative judiciary from nearly every state in the nation, as well as attorneys, law clerks, and law clerks also committed to our mission of diversity and equality in the system of justice.
NAWJ takes pride in its accomplishments. We were at the forefront in the establishment and implementation of gender bias task forces in both federal and state courts. We advanced the administration of justice in areas of domestic violence, child support and child custody, and the treatment of women in the courts of America. We are committed to our efforts in educating judges on bioethics, elder abuse, sentencing of women offenders with substance abuse problems, conditions for women in prison, and the problems facing immigrants in our court system.
In addition to addressing these and other important issues, NAWJ, through our Conferences and events, provides an opportunity for judges to meet and discuss professional challenges and issues of mutual concern in an atmosphere of warm collegiality.
For more information, contact Marie Komisar 202-393-0222 ext 10.
8/1/2011 - DICKSTEIN SHAPIRO ATTORNEY ELAINE METLIN AWARDED THE 2011 FLORENCE K. MURRAY AWARD This year’s Florence K. Murray Award will be given to Elaine Metlin. The Award is presented annually to a nominee who is not a judge, and who has, by example or otherwise, influenced women to pursue legal careers, opened doors for women attorneys, or advanced opportunities for women within the legal profession. The Award will be presented at NAWJ’s Annual Awards Banquet held during its 33rd Annual Conference on Saturday, October 15, 2011 at the Newark Club in Newark, New Jersey.
Elaine Metlin is Co-Chair of NAWJ’s Resource Board and has been an active member since 2006. She is a partner in Dickstein Shapiro’s Business Litigation and White Collar Practices where she has practiced law for 27 years. In 2006, she was named Washington, D.C. head of Dickstein Shapiro’s Women’s Leadership Initiative, and was recognized in October 2008 in Profiles in Diversity Journal’s 7th Annual Women Worth Watching issue, which honored leaders from many industries who are “determined and compassionate.” She also is a founding member of the District of Columbia Chapter of Women’s Leadership and Mentoring Alliance, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to cultivate networking, mentoring, and career development opportunities for women across industries. Ms. Metlin is a life-long and passionate advocate for women. She has counseled victims of rape and abuse victims and spent hundreds of pro bono hours seeking to protect and preserve women’s reproductive rights. She has served as a mentor and role model for women since she entered law school as a single mother of a two-year-old daughter in 1980. In the mid-90’s, she was instrumental in drafting her firm’s cutting edge policy on alternative work arrangements, where women could work on a schedule reduced as much as 50 percent and still be on partnership track. She and her firm are generous supporters of NAWJ, contributing both time and resources. Dickstein Shapiro hosted an original panel on administrative courts for NAWJ judges, friends and other Washington, D.C. law firms, increasing NAWJ’s visibility in the Washington, D.C. legal community. Her firm has also been a strong supporter of NAWJ Conferences and Meetings, and has been a Landmark Sponsor for many years.
The National Association of Women Judges’ mission is to: promote the judicial role of protecting the rights of individuals under the rule of law through strong, committed, diverse judicial leadership, fairness and equality in the courts, and equal access to justice.
PAST AWARDEES
1990
Lynn Hecht Schafran and Norma Wikler
1991
Marilyn Nejelski
1992
Hon. Arline Pacht
1993
Professor Judith Resnik
1994
David Tevelin
1995
Larry L. Sipes
1996
Victoria S. Cashman
1997
Robert M. Kaufman, Esq.
1998
Hon. Phyillis W. Beck and Hon. Ann Quill Niederlander
The Honorable Judith S. Kaye served as Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals for 15 years until her retirement in 2008, longer than any other Chief Judge in New York’s history. She first was appointed in 1983 by Gov. Mario Cuomo as an Associate Judge of the Court of Appeals, becoming the first woman ever to serve on New York’s highest court. Judge Kaye gained a national reputation for both her groundbreaking decisions and her innovative reforms of the New York court system. She wrote notable decisions on a wide variety of statutory, constitutional and common law issues, including rights for gay couples and the death penalty. Judge Kaye also left her mark on New York’s courts as a creative reformer, streamlining New York’s jury system and establishing specialized courts to focus on issues such as drug addiction, domestic violence and mental health issues. In addition, she created the Adoption Now program that has produced more effective procedures for children in foster care and their families. Her reforms have been implemented by many other state courts. Judge Kaye joined Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates’ Litigation Group in 2009. Before her appointment to the bench, she practiced law at Sullivan & Cromwell, IBM and Olwine, Connelly, Chase, O’Donnell & Weyher, where she became a partner.
The Joan Dempsey Klein Honoree of the Year Award is awarded each year to honor a judge who brings distinction to their office and to the National Association of Women Judges as exemplified by NAWJ’ s founder, Justice Joan Dempsey Klein.
The award will be presented at the annual awards banquet held during the NAWJ 33rd Annual Conference on Saturday, October 15, 2011 at the Newark Club. For NAWJ conference information visit www.nawj.org.
The National Association of Women Judges’ mission is to: Promote the judicial role of protecting the rights of individuals under the rule of law through strong, committed, diverse judicial leadership, fairness and equality in the courts, and equal access to justice.
Washington, D.C., July 7, 2011 – The National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) held its Sixth Annual Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues at noon in the Cannon House Office Building to discuss important issues pertaining to women and children.
NAWJ President Marjorie Laird Carter judge of the California Superior Court presided over the Caucus, in conjunction with Caucus co-chairs, Hon. Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, District of Columbia Court of Appeals, Representative Gwendolynne Moore, Wisconsin and Representative Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming. President Carter said, “This Caucus gives judges and congresswomen a unique opportunity to discuss issues of mutual concern which effect all women and children and to learn from each other. Organizations like NAWJ continue to be important in this ongoing process.”
Judge Joan Churchill (Ret) Immigration Court, discussed the importance for all judges to be aware of immigration issues that impact litigants before them. She referenced the fact that immigration is controlled by federal law and that immigration judges are bound by the law as enacted by Congress. She mentioned that some terminology in the Immigration and Nationality Act is susceptible of different interpretations and that if greater consistency is desired, it is up to Congress to change the law.
Judge Vanessa Ruiz, of the District of Columbia’s Court of Appeals, discussed the growing issue of language access in the courts—roughly 20% of people in the United States, American citizens included, speak a language other than English in their homes. Although courts aim to have interpreters, there is a concern that the translation product is only a fragmented version of what is actually said by the non-English speaking party. Language access is a growing problem that ignites tension with decreasing court-funding and she stressed, something the congress should be aware of in future appropriations.
The Honorable Susan Carbon, Director of the Office of Violence Against Women at the U.S. Department of Justice noted that 14% of all homicides in the United States are domestic homicides—for each victim of that percentage, nine more victims were so severely injured they were near death. Further, she noted “these domestic violence crimes are almost always predictable and therefore preventable.” Promoting legislation to institute predictive programs is at the forefront of the Office of Violence against Women’s agenda.
Representative Ann Beurkle of New York’s 25th District introduced an assortment of trafficking issues, ranging from children sent away by misinformed and desperate parents, entire families enslaved in India, and all too frequent occurrence of young girls from around the world promised acting and modeling careers who become, enslaved and subjugated to profane realities.
Approximately 65 attendees including judges from across the nation, congressional members, attorneys and law school students. NAWJ would also like to give special thanks to the State Justice Institute, without which this event would not have been possible. Additional sponsors of the Caucus include: Arent Fox LLP; Dickstein Shapiro LLP; Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.; Hunton & Williams LLP; White & Case LLP; and the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia.
*** National Association of Women Judges 1341 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20036 Tel: 202-393-0222 Fax: 202-393-0125 www.nawj.org
NAWJ President Marjorie Laird Carter of the California Superior Court will preside over the Conference, with Judge Sue Pai Yang of the New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Court as Conference Chair, Frances Bouchoux, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Services at Rutgers School of Law – Newark as Conference Co-Chair and Judge Rosemary Gambardella of the United States Bankruptcy Court as Conference Education Chair.
Programs will explore issues critical to promoting global equality for women through the law, including ending violence against women, prevention of human trafficking and promotion of economic equality. Additional programs will examine domestic violence, urban revitalization, forensic evidence, cross-cultural issues in the courts, immigration and effective leadership styles for judges.
Attendees will include judges from across the nation and around the world. A luncheon for Conference supporters will be held on Thursday, October 13, 2011 with a prominent keynote speaker to be announced.
For Conference Sponsorship and Registration information, click here to visit the conference website, or call our National Office in Washington, D.C., phone: 202-393-0222 or email: mkomisar@nawj.org.
The Conference will end with a Sunday breakfast preceded by a Saturday night gala awards dinner.
About the National Association of Women Judges
Founded in 1979, NAWJ is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization committed to providing a national voice for federal, state, military, administrative and tribal women jurists at all levels of the judiciary. It is dedicated to ensuring equal justice and access to the courts for women, minorities and other historically disfavored groups. Its mission includes providing judicial education on cutting-edge issues affecting these groups; increasing the numbers and advancement of women judges at all levels of the judiciary; and defending and preserving judicial independence.
10/16/2010 - CALIFORNIA SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE, MARJORIE LAIRD CARTER, ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN JUDGES (San Francisco, California.) Orange County Superior Court Judge Marjorie Laird Carter has been elected President of the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ), the nation’s leading voice for women jurists. An active member since 1990, she has held all major offices and served on numerous committees. She becomes NAWJ’s 31st President.
Judge Carter was appointed to the California Trial Court in 1990 and later appointed to the Central Municipal Court, Orange County California and elevated to the Orange County Superior Court upon Court Unification in 1998. She served as Presiding Judge of the Central Municipal Court and the Statewide Court Finance Committees. A former teacher, Judge Carter continues to be active in judicial education and has served on the faculty for trial court budgeting, probate and ethics courses.
Born in Tennessee, Judge Carter’s family moved to Pasadena, California where she grew up. She attended Chapman University in Orange, California, taught elementary school, had two children, and then went to Irvine University School of Law. She was an associate in several small law firms and in private practice focusing on business and corporate law and probate matters, prior to her appointment to the bench by Governor Deukmejian.
Judge Carter said, “Throughout its history, NAWJ has been steadfast in its mission of service—service to vulnerable populations, to each other, to our profession, to our communities, and, ultimately, to our nation as a whole. I have benefited personally and professionally from NAWJ’s vision and commitment, and I’ve seen so many others benefit as well. This organization has given much to me, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to give back.”
NAWJ is dedicated to preserving judicial independence, ensuring equal justice and access to the courts for women, minorities and other historically disfavored groups, providing judicial education on cutting-edge issues, and increasing the numbers and advancement of women judges at all levels to more accurately reflect their full participation in a democratic society. Its approximately 1,200 members include federal, state, tribal, military and administrative law judges at both the appellate and trial levels from every state in the nation.
Judge Marjorie Laird Carter’s term of office as NAWJ President began on October 16, 2010. She will serve for one year. For more on the National Association of Women Judges, visit www.nawj.org.
For more information contact Marie Komisar 202-393-0222 ext 10.
10/16/2010 - NAWJ ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP FOR 2010-2011 (San Francisco, California) The National Association of Women Judges has elected officers for its 2010-2011 year at its Annual Meeting in San Francisco. At the end of one of its most engaging conferences ever, San Francisco, Open Your Golden Gate, held in downtown San Francisco from October 13-17, 2010, the organization recognized its year of achievements and looked on into 2011.
All newly elected and continuing officers may be found in the list below.
National Association of Women Judges 2010-2011 Board of Directors
Executive Committee
President
Hon. Marjorie Laird Carter
Orange County Superior Court
Newport Beach, CA
President-Elect
Hon. Amy L. Nechtem
Juvenile Court, Lynn, MA
Vice President - Publications
Hon. Sheri S. Roman
Appellate Division, 2nd Department
Kew Gardens, NY
Vice President - Districts
Hon. Julie E. Frantz
Multnomah County Circuit Court, Portland, OR
Secretary
Hon. Tanya R. Kennedy
Civil Court, New York, NY
Treasurer
Hon. Elisabeth Ashlea Earle
County Court at Law #7, Austin, TX
Immediate Past President
Hon. Dana Fabe
Alaska Supreme Court, Anchorage, AK
Projects Committee Chair
Hon. Joan V. Churchill
Immigration Court (Retired)
Chevy Chase, MD
Finance Committee Chair
Hon. Anna Blackburne-Rigsby
D. C. Court of Appeals, Washington, DC
District Directors
District 1 (ME, MA, NH, PR, RI)
Hon. Ariane Vuono
Massachusetts Appeals Court
Boston, MA
District 2 (CT, NY, VT)
Hon. Phyllis Orlikoff Flug
Supreme Court
Jamaica, NY
District 3 (DE, NJ, PA, Virgin Islands)
Hon. Sandra Robinson
New Jersey Administrative Law Court
Newark, NJ
District 4 (DC, MD, VA)
Hon. Julia B. Weatherly
Circuit Court for Prince George's County
Maryland
District 5 (FL, GA, NC, SC)
Hon. Lisa S. Walsh
Miami-Dade County Court, N. Miami, FL
District 6 (AL, LA, MS, TN)
Hon. Sharon Gail Lee
Tennessee Supreme Court, Knoxville, TN
District 7 (MI, OH, WV)
Hon. Katherine L. Hansen
36th District Court, Detroit, MI
District 8 (IL, IN, KY)
Hon. Jane Spencer Craney
Morgan Superior Court 3
Martinsville, IN
District 9 (IA, MO, WI)
Hon. Ann Walsh Bradley
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Madison, WI
District 10 (KS, MN, NE, ND, SD)
Hon. Maritza Segarra
Geary County District Court
Junction City, KS
District 11 (AR, OK, TX)
Hon. Susan Criss
212th District Court, Galveston, TX
District 12 (AZ, CO, NM, UT, WY)
Hon. Ann Scott Timmer
Court of Appeals, Division 1
Phoenix, AZ
District 13 (AK, HI, ID, MT, WA, OR)
Hon. Marilyn G. Paja
Kitsap County District Court
Port Orchard, WA
District 14 (CA, NV)
Hon. Jamoa A. Moberly
Orange County Superior Court
Santa Ana, CA
Special Directors
International Director
Hon. Sue Pai Yang
New Jersey Workers' Compensation Court
Newark, New Jersey
ABA Delegate
Hon. Fernande R.V. Duffly
Massachusetts Appeals Court
Boston, MA
***
NAWJ was founded by two visionary women, California Appeals Court Justices Joan Dempsey Klein and Vaino Spencer (Retired). Since 1979, the National Association of Women Judges has fought to preserve judicial independence, ensure equal justice and access to the courts for women, minorities and other historically disfavored groups, increase the numbers and advancement of women judges at all levels, and provide cutting-edge judicial education.
NAWJ’s diverse membership include women and men at all levels of the federal, state, trial, military and administrative judiciary from nearly every state in the nation, as well as attorneys, law clerks, and law clerks also committed to our mission of diversity and equality in the system of justice.
NAWJ takes pride in its accomplishments. We were at the forefront in the establishment and implementation of gender bias task forces in both federal and state courts. We advanced the administration of justice in areas of domestic violence, child support and child custody, and the treatment of women in the courts of America. We are committed to our efforts in educating judges on bioethics, elder abuse, sentencing of women offenders with substance abuse problems, conditions for women in prison, and the problems facing immigrants in our court system.
In addition to addressing these and other important issues, NAWJ, through our Conferences and events, provides an opportunity for judges to meet and discuss professional challenges and issues of mutual concern in an atmosphere of warm collegiality.
For more information contact Marie Komisar 202-393-0222 ext 10.
7/15/2010 - 2010 NAWJ AWARD RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED The National Association of Women Judges is pleased to announce the recipients of its Annual Awards for 2010. At the end of one of its most engaging conferences ever, San Francisco, Open Your Golden Gate, held in downtown San Francisco from October 13-17, 2010, the organization recognized its year of achievements and looked on into 2011.
The recipient of the Joan Dempsey Klein Award is Hon. Ronald M. George, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court California. The Honoree of the Year Award honors a judge who brings distinction to their office and to the National Association of Women Judges as exemplified by NAWJ’s founder, Justice Joan Dempsey Klein. Chief Justice George is the first Chief Justice of California that allocated significant quantities of the judicial branch’s resources to create structural changes addressing the legal and ethical problems associated with access to justice, particularly to the needs of families and children. He has served as Chief since 1996 and is a longtime member of NAWJ. He is the recipient of numerous awards including Children’s’ Advocacy Award from Los Angeles Legal Services for Children; Foster Care Awareness Campaign Recognition; George Moscone Award for Outstanding Public Service; Foundation of the State Bar’s Justice Award; Bar Association of San Francisco’s Champion of Justice Award and the Burton Reform in Law Award and many others.
The recipient of the Vaino Spencer Leadership Award is Hon. Brenda Stith Loftin, Judge, of the St. Louis County Circuit Court in Missouri. An NAWJ Past President (2006-2007) Judge Loftin’s outstanding leadership in promoting the vision, core values, and mission of NAWJ, as exemplified by California Court of Appeals Justice Vaino Spencer’s career continues to inspire fellow judges, legal professionals and young people across the country. Judge Loftin created NAWJ’s Color of Justice program which is presented to hundreds of secondary school students every year. Judge Loftin was the instrumental leadership in driving NAWJ’s most recent strategic planning process which guides the organization today.
The recipient of the Mattie Belle Davis Award is Hon. Debra A. James Justice of the Supreme Court in New York City. This award recognizes an NAWJ member who has goes above and beyond their role as a member and a volunteer to help make a difference in the organization in furtherance of the NAWJ mission. Judge James has been an active member of NAWJ since 1997, and is a member if NAWJ’s Women in Prison Committee.
The recipient of the Florence K. Murray Award is Kelly M. Dermody, Esq. Ms. Dermody is a partner at the firm of Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP in San Francisco, California. The Florence K. Murray Award was instituted by its namesake, the Honorable Florence K Murray, for presentation to a non-judge who by example or otherwise, has influenced women to pursue legal careers, opened doors for women attorneys, or advance opportunities for women within the legal profession. Ms. Dermody’s exemplary skills as a litigator and her professionalism has been recently recognized in May 2010 when she was named one of the top 100 female litigators in California by the Daily Journal. Ms. Dermody is actively involved in the legal community and has serves on many committees of the Bar Association of San Francisco as well the American Bar Association and on the Resource Board of NAWJ.
Members of the 2010 Awards Selection Committee included: Chair, Linda Strite Murnane, International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, The Hague; Katherine Bacal, San Diego Superior Court, San Diego, CA; Diana Eagon, Hennepin County District Court (Ret.), Nokomis, FL; Sandra Farragut-Hemphill, St. Louis County Circuit Court, St Louis, MO; Sandra Robinson, State of New Jersey, Newark, NJ; Diana Becton Smith, Contra Costa Superior Court, Martinez, CA; Sandra Thompson, Los Angeles Superior Court, Torrance, CA; and Barbara Zúñiga, Board Liaison, Contra Costa Superior Court, Martinez, CA.
The awards will be presented at the NAWJ Annual Conference to be held in San Francisco at its annual Awards Banquet on Saturday, October 16, 2010 at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco. For more information contact Marie Komisar at 202-393-0222 ext. 11.
6/24/2010 - NAWJ PAST PRESIDENT VANESSA RUIZ HONORED WITH JUDICIAL LEADERSDHIP AWARD BY THE HISPANIC NATIONAL BAR FOUNDATION NAWJ President District of Columbia Court of Appeals Judge Vanessa Ruiz will receive the Hispanic National Bar Foundation’s Judicial Leadership Award at its Annual Dinner on Thursday, July 8, 2010 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C. The Awards Dinner Keynote Address will be given by Juan Sepúlveda, Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. Interested attendees may RSVP to the Foundation at mantich@hnbf.org or call (202) 496-7206 for more information.
Hispanic National Bar Foundation’s mission: The Hispanic National Bar Foundation believes that knowledge and diversity benefits everyone. Lack of opportunities, role models, information, and financial support prevent many Hispanics from becoming leaders and contributing their voices on issues that affect our communities. The HNBF seeks to provide the necessary tools to ensure full and equal opportunity for Hispanics to become leaders in the global community and ensure a brighter future for all.
For more information about NAWJ, contact Executive Director Marie Komisar at (202) 393-0222.
5/12/2010 - NAWJ ANNOUNCES ITS 32ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE 'SAN FRANCISCO, OPEN YOUR GOLDEN GATE' FOCUSING ON WOMEN, CHILDREN, AND THE ELDERLY, OCTOBER 13-17, 2010 WASHINGTON, D.C. May 12, 2010 – The National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) announces "San Francisco, Open Your Golden Gate", its 32nd Annual Conference to be held in San Francisco, California from October 13-17, 2010 with the Ritz Carlton, San Francisco serving as host hotel and Conference site location. NAWJ President Justice Dana Fabe of the Alaska Supreme Court will preside over the Conference, with Contra Costa Superior Court Judge Barbara Ann Zúñiga as Conference Chair.
Conference Education Chair, California Appeals Court Justice Mark Simons has orchestrated three full days of over thirty intensive informative education sessions. This year’s plenary sessions include the following panel discussions: ‘Republican Party of Minnesota v. White’ regarding the First Amendment rights of candidates for judicial office. Panelist include: include Professor Pamela Karlan, Stanford Law School, California Supreme Court Justice Ming Chin and Michelle Friedland, Esq., Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP.
“Before (and After) Roe v. Wade” including speakers and panelists: Judge Marla Miller, San Francisco City and County Superior Court and Professors Linda Greenhouse and Reva Siegel, Yale Law School;
“Responding to Violence Against Women: Past Successes and Future Challenges.” Speaker: former judge Susan B. Carbon of Concord, N.H. now Director for the Justice Department's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
Keynote Luncheon Addresses by former New York Times editorial page editor Gail Collins, and former trial lawyer and best-selling author of “Conviction” and “Protect and Defend,” Richard North Patterson will round out Conference education activities with personal offerings of insight and entertainment on Thursday October 14th and Friday October 15th respectively.
For Conference Sponsorship and Registration information visit our website www.nawj.org.
NAWJ’s Annual Awards Banquet will take place Saturday evening October 16th.
About the National Association of Women Judges Founded in 1979, NAWJ is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization committed to providing a national voice for federal, state, military, administrative and tribal women jurists at all levels of the judiciary dedicated to ensuring equal justice and access to the courts for women, minorities and other historically disfavored groups; to providing judicial education on cutting-edge issues affecting these groups; to increasing the numbers and advancement of women judges at all levels of the judiciary; and to defending and preserving judicial independence.
Justice Fabe recalled in her letter that when Justice Sandra Day O’Connor retired, she addressed the question of diversity on the Court at a retirement gala organized by NAWJ in her honor. There, she remarked that she hoped she would be “around and still aware of what is going on” when “our third woman” is appointed to the Supreme Court, “our fourth . . . and wait a minute -- our fifth!” Justice Fabe commended President Obama’s nomination of Justice Sonia Sotomayor as his first appointment to the high court but noted that “women are still far from being equally represented at the higher echelons of the bench, or the legal profession -- just as they remain underrepresented in other fields of professional endeavor. Justice Fabe closed her letter by stating: “With this critical nomination, we urge you to make clear again to the nation your commitment to the full and equal participation of women in American society by nominating an outstanding woman in the mold of Justice O’Connor, Justice Ginsburg, and Justice Sotomayor.” Click here to read President Fabe’s letter to President Obama.
The National Association of Women Judges is a non partisan, non-profit organization of more than 1,250 federal, state, administrative, tribal and military judges from across the country. For over 30 years, NAWJ has served as the nation’s leading voice for jurists dedicated to: promoting the judicial role in protecting the rights of individuals under the rule of law through strong, committed, diverse judicial leadership; fairness and equality in the courts; equal access to justice; providing judicial education on cutting-edge issues; and the advancement of women at all levels of the judiciary to accurately reflect their full participation in a democratic society.
4/11/2010 - LEXISNEXIS® AGREES TO FUND EXPANSION OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN JUDGES’ COLOR OF JUSTICE PROGRAM WASHINGTON, D.C – The National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) announced that it has received funding from NAWJ supporter LexisNexis to expand presentation of its Color of Justice Program. The purpose of the program is to encourage girls and minority students in seventh through twelfth grades to consider the law and judgeships as career goals. Since its inception in 2001, the program has been presented in more that 25 states and received national recognition from bar groups, including the American Bar Association. The program focuses on career preparation, panel discussions with judges and lawyers sharing personal and professional insights, and small group discussions during informal luncheons. The program provides an environment where discussion and debate among participants can flourish. The goal is to expand the program to 17 additional states in 2010-2011.
"The Color of Justice program introduces a diverse audience of high school students to the opportunities provided by a legal career," said NAWJ President Dana Fabe, Justice on the Alaska Supreme Court. The Alaska Courts are presenters of the nation’s most comprehensive Color of Justice Programs. “It is important that we develop and implement programs that inspire middle and secondary school students and encourage them to attend four-year colleges and universities, and, ultimately law school.”
The Color of Justice program’s national expansion will be guided by program creator NAWJ Past President Judge Brenda Stith Loftin, St. Louis, MO and NAWJ Vice President of Districts, Retired Judge Joan Churchill, Maryland. LexisNexis team members will join in program collaboration throughout the national expansion.
For more information contact Marie Komisar at (202) 393-0222 ext. 10.
4/6/2010 - NAWJ CONTINUES TO PUSH NALP FOR TRANSPARENCY IN EQUITY PARTNER DATA, CITING JUSTICE AND NEED FOR DIVERSITY WASHINGTON, D.C – The National Association of Women Judges has been joined by prominent lawyers across the country in asking the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) to reconsider its recent turn-about in the face of law firm pressure. NALP's decision to step back from seeking the collection of important partnership data deprives the profession - as well as law schools and law students - of crucial information. NALP's annual survey is among the most trusted source of information about law firms in the country, and its data is an important source of information about the state of the legal profession.
NALP had responded favorably to a proposal, advanced in 2008 by Massachusetts Appeals Court Justice Fernande RV Duffly, then President of NAWJ, and the Massachusetts Women’s Bar Association, that it require law firms to distinguish between equity and non-equity partners in the demographic information reported about their lawyers. This would have given law students seeking employment with law firms important data about the numbers of women and minority lawyers who have achieved full equity status, enabling them to make informed decisions about opportunities for advancement to genuine leadership positions. After studying the issue, NALP agreed and included questions about equity and non equity partners in its annual suirvey that was sent to its member law firms in January 2010. Just a few weeks later, however, these questions were removed from the questionnaire, apparently in response to resistance by unidentified law firms, citing privacy reasons.
Signing on to the letter asking that NALP reconsider its decision are prominent leaders of the legal profession from across the country, including the nation's leading bar associations, members of a national consortium of organizations that seek to advance women in the profession, deans of the country’s major law schools, and partners in some of the country’s top law firms. NAWJ past president Duffly decided that letting the matter recede from public view would not advance the interests of justice that she has worked her entire legal career to advance. Justice Duffly stated: "There are so many reasons why women and lawyers of color should have accurate data about their real prospects for achieving equity partner status. For me, it is simply a matter of justice. Leaders in the legal profession become members of the judiciary or influence the selection of those who do. Until women and minority lawyers are admitted to the ranks of real power and influence, it is not just the upper echelons of our law firms but the judiciary that will remain predominantly male and white, and we as a nation will continue to fall short of attaining the goal of equal justice."
NAWJ’s current president, Dana Fabe, also emphasized the importance of collecting accurate information about how women are succeeding in the legal profession. “NAWJ cannot stand by as year after year, the percentage of women and minorities on the federal and state courts remains stagnate. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us, justice cannot be a far-off ideal for a distant tomorrow -- it must be a living reality of today.”
NAWJ and the representatives of national bar associations and organizations that seek to advance women and minorities in the profession are hoping to meet with members of NALP’s Board this month to change their minds.
About the National Association of Women Judges Founded in 1979, the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) is a non-profit organization of more than 1,250 federal, state, administrative, tribal and military judges from across the country. For over 32 years, NAWJ has served as the nation’s leading voice for jurists dedicated to: promoting the judicial role in protecting the rights of individuals under the rule of law through strong, committed, diverse judicial leadership; fairness and equality in the courts; equal access to justice; providing judicial education on cutting-edge issues; and the advancement of women at all levels of the judiciary to accurately reflect their full participation in a democratic society.
For more information about NAWJ, please contact Marie Komisar (202) 393-0222 or mkomisar@nawj.org.
3/15/2010 - NAWJ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARIE KOMISAR COMMENTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF A DIVERSE BENCH “Each judge brings his or her own life experience to the bench and that diversity of life experience strengthens the justice system and the confidence that people have in it,” remarked Marie Komisar, NAWJ Executive Director, in response to news on a report on women judges in Alaska.
According to the Fairbanks Daily News -Miner, in Fairbanks, Alaska the last time a woman was selected for a judgeship was in 1988. Nine judges have been appointed in Fairbanks since 2002. Across the state of Alaska the proportion of women on the bench is 18.8 percent; of its 69 judges, 13 are women.
A study by the Alaska Judicial Council shows an increasing number of women are applying for judgeships in Alaska. Between 1984 and 1988, 15 percent of all applicants were women. The rate was 28 percent between 2003 and 2007.
“When I started in 1981, I was the only sitting woman judge,” District Court Judge Jane Kauvar said, “and then for a period of time there were two others here. And now I’m back to being the only one. It just seems incredible that in 2010 I am back to being the only one. I feel it’s a shame for the public. The public has a right to feel that there is diversity.”
Retired pro tem Judge Mary Greene when asked about women on the bench offered: “I don’t have any problem with the selection process,” she said. “I think it has to do with the governors we’ve had. They are the ones making the choices. Many of the last several governors have placed a premium on private-practice experience. That leaves out many women, since many women work in the public sector most or much of their careers. We have had many good judges from the public sector, including (Alaska Supreme Court) Justice Dana Fabe, so I have never been convinced that that criteria is useful.”
Read more in Amanda Bohman’s article in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - click here.
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The National Association of Women Judges’ mission is to promote the judicial role of protecting the rights of individuals under the rule of law through strong, committed, diverse judicial leadership; fairness and equality in the courts; and equal access to justice. NAWJ is a non partisan, non-profit organization of more than 1,200 federal, state, administrative, tribal and military judges from across the country. For more information contact Marie Komisar at NAWJ, Tel: 202-393-0222.
3/11/2010 - CHIEF JUSTICE CHRISTINE DURHAM CALLS FOR LEGAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE OF FUNDING STATE COURTS AT NAWJ CAUCUS MEETING, ABA MIDYEAR MEETING The National Association of Women Judges held its fifth meeting with the Congressional Caucus on Women’s Issues on March 11th on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Among the 30 judges who greeted and discussed issues with Caucus members was the President of the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Christine Durham and National Center for State Courts Executive Director Mary McQueen. The Meeting’s chairs included NAWJ President Dana Fabe Justice on the Alaska Supreme Court, D.C. Court of Appeals Judge Vanessa Ruiz and Nicole Erb, Esq. of White & Case.
“Lawyers and judges properly understand their roles in society and their institutions as an integral part of the constitutional experiment that is the American system of justice,” a heartened Durham told the audience of American Bar Association House of Delegates on February 8th in Orlando, Florida.
And, as she told every Congressional Caucus member who joined NAWJ’s meeting the vast majority of justice is administered by our states courts. “Institutional independence includes the ability to manage resources, develop procedures, and establish policies and priorities for the essential functions of the courts: access to justice, prompt resolution of disputes, effective use of and accountability for public resources, alternatives to litigation, and a whole host of other concerns that are part of the administration of the courts.” In Orlando, Chief Justice Durham called on the ABA support increase in the State Justice Institute’s appropriation which has been shrinking in recent years. The State Judicial Institute was created and is funded by Congress for the purpose of supporting the work of the state courts.
As NAWJ’s Capitol Hill meeting focused on domestic violence, elder abuse and access to court interpreters, Representatives were reminded that despite Violence Against Women’s Act’s (VAWA) reauthorization federal funding to support state and local programming initiatives to support case coordinators and developing domestic violence courts and tracking systems were outstanding needs; the House approval of HR 448 and the Senate’s companion bill S1821 would significantly impact court resources and abilities to require background checks on persons providing direct patient care, provide grants to develop forensic expertise and establish stationary and mobile forensic centers, and provided increased services relating to elder abuse; and support Senate sponsored bill S1329 that would authorize a grant program to support court interpreter efforts in the states through the Department of Justice, the highest court in each state, and through state application.
Though the Caucus Meeting turnout was heavily impacted by health care legislation, and concurrent hearings, Caucus Chair Jan Schakowsky, having arrived directly from a meeting at the State Department, challenged NAWJ to unite in “sisterhood” to fight injustice globally. In her remarks to the ABA Chief Justice Durham mentioned she appointed a special CCJ task force “to focus on issues raised by the globalization of the practice of law, which has already benefitted greatly by the work done by the section on International Law and the section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.”
You can view Chief Justice Durham’s full speech in the clip below:
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NAWJ has been meeting on Capitol Hill with members of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues for the past five years to discuss areas of mutual concern.
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The National Association of Women Judges’ mission is to promote the judicial role of protecting the rights of individuals under the rule of law through strong, committed, diverse judicial leadership; fairness and equality in the courts; and equal access to justice. NAWJ is a non partisan, non-profit organization of more than 1,200 federal, state, administrative, tribal and military judges from across the country. For more information contact Marie Komisar at NAWJ, Tel: 202-393-0222.
The Conference of Chief Justices overall mission is to improve the administration of justice in the states and territories of the United States. They address this mission by:
promoting the vitality, independence and effectiveness of state judicial systems
developing and advancing policies supporting our common interests and values
educating leaders to become effective managers of state judicial systems
supporting the provision of adequate resources for the operation of state courts.
For more information contact the Conference of Chief Justices at the National Center for State Courts, Tel: 757-259-1841.
The State Justice Institute (SJI) was established by Federal law in 1984 to award grants to improve the quality of justice in State courts, facilitate better coordination between State and Federal courts, and foster innovative, efficient solutions to common issues faced by all courts. SJI is unique both in its mission and how it seeks to fulfill it. SJI carries out its mission in a variety of ways that maximize the impact of its funding, including:
Placing practical products in the hands of the judges and court staff who can most benefit from them;
Maintaining information clearinghouses to assure that effective new judicial approaches in one State are quickly and economically shared with other courts nationwide;
Establishing national resource centers where judges and court staff obtain expert guidance, test new technologies, and learn from each other;
Convening national, regional, and in-State educational programs to speed the transfer of solutions to issues shared by courts across the nation; and,
Delivering national technical assistance targeted at specific jurisdictions’ specific problems.
For more information, contact the State Justice Institute, tel: 703-684-6100.
2/25/2010 - NAWJ PAST PRESIDENT FERNANDE DUFFLY RESPONDS TO LACK OF DATA FROM FIRMS ON PROMOTION In an initiative ignited by NAWJ Past President Fernande Duffly in 2008 on behalf of NAWJ, and joined by several national organizations dedicated to promoting women and minorities in the law, including the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), Center for Women in Law at the University of Texas, and various bar associations, efforts were made to request law firms to report breakdowns of equity versus non-equity partners. This year, NALP tried, and failed, to get those breakdowns, hoping to include the information in its annual Directory of Legal Employers. As written in an online post, What Women Want: Partnership Details, posted by Vivia Chen: “The majority of our members refused to provide the breakdown," says NALP executive director James Leipold. "Many [firms] said they would not fill [out] the NALP form if we required it." NALP dropped the effort on February 12.
Responding to word of the setback, Justice Duffly, who sits on the Massachusetts Appeals Court, noted the importance for women and minority lawyers to greater transparency in the number of equity and nonequity partners at law firms. “It's the difference between having real power and the semblance of power, says Fernande Duffly.” Justice Duffly has long advocated achieving greater diversity in the profession, has pushed NALP to collect the information for the last two years. "If you're making a career selection, you want a place where you have opportunity for real leadership; I think law students want to be full partners," Duffly says in explaining why the breakdown is important. She adds that she has a personal stake in the issue: "Law firm partners are part of the pipeline for our judiciary."
For more information, contact NAWJ at its NATIONAL OFFICE, 1341 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036, phone: (202) 393-0222, fax: (202) 393-0125 or by email at nawj@nawj.org. Our website address is www.nawj.org.
1/19/2010 - NAWJ SUPPORTS MONETARY CONTRIBUTION TO HAITI'S EARTHQUAKE RELIEF EFFORTS Relief organizations say a monetary contribution is the best, most efficient way to help emergency response efforts in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti last week. The American Red Cross received more than $3 million through its cell phone text donation option as of Thursday morning. Donations may be made to the American Red Cross, and a List of Relief Organizations described at Charity Navigator.
According to Association Trends, if your association has not created its own relief efforts, Diana Aviv, CEO of Independent Sector, offers four tips for organizations that wish to assist in Haiti relief:
1. Make monetary donations. The challenge with nonmonetary donations is that many relief groups do not have the facilities or staff to handle such donations, or a way to get them to Haiti easily. Relief organizations will announce which supplies are needed and when.
2. Donate money directly to relief organizations, such as Red Cross or United Way International, or to other organizations, such as religious groups, that bundle the donations and give them to relief organizations.
3. Do not limit the use of donations to rescue efforts only. Noting that the recovery phase in Haiti will be long term, "now is the time to raise the money for rebuilding as well as rescue efforts, while people have their attention on this tragedy," Aviv urged.
4. Donate only to existing organizations. "Possibly bad people will use this opportunity to prey on the generosity of Americans and others, and set up fake organizations," she said.
11/1/2009 - NAWJ PRESIDENT DANA FABE SPEAKS OUT FOR MORE WOMEN ON STATES’ COURT OF LAST RESORT In the wake of Pennsylvania fielding more women than ever on its ballot for judicial elections - one of the two people running for an open state Supreme Court is a woman, five of eight candidates for their Superior Court, the court one rung below the Supreme Court, three of four people running for Commonwealth Court, the other appellate court, and in Dauphin County three of the five candidates are women and the election for Lebanon County Common Pleas Court is between a man and a woman – NAWJ President Dana Fabe, who sits on Alaska’s Supreme Court, formerly as its Chief Justice, while remarking on the progress made in advancing women onto the bench during the last 30 years, added that “progress has been much slower in promoting women to the states’ appellate courts, particularly courts of last resort.”
The article on this trend, as reported in The Patriot News by Jeanette Krebs, though celebrating increased female participation reminded readers that “running for office and serving on the bench are two different things.” Only two women have been elected to our highest state court. Joan Orie Melvin might be the third on Tuesday. Considering there are seven members on the court at any given time, that clearly does not reflect society or even the legal profession. This is true on a local level as well. According to the Pennsylvania Bar Association, 31 of the 67 counties have no women judges, concurs Lynn Marks, executive director of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts.
Justice Fabe saluted exceptions Minnesota and Washington, which have in the past had a majority of women on their supreme courts, but added “most other states still are behind where they should be. Although it is heartening that we now have a substantial number of women chief justices throughout the country, there is still much work to do in ensuring that all levels of court, including our states’ highest courts, reflect the diversity of the communities they serve,” she said. Justice Fabe added that an important reason why judges should reflect the diversity of society as a whole is that “ it enhances the public’s trust and confidence in the system.”
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The National Association of Women Judges' mission is to promote the judicial role in protecting the rights of individuals under the rule of law through strong, committed, diverse judicial leadership, fairness and equality in the courts, and equal access to justice. Since 1979, the National Association of Women Judges has fought to preserve judicial independence, ensure equal justice and access to the courts for women, minorities and other historically disfavored groups, to increase the numbers and advancement of women judges at all levels, and provide cutting-edge judicial education. NAWJ's diverse membership includes women and men at all levels of the federal, state, trial, military and administrative judiciary from every state in the nation, as well as attorneys, law clerks and law students committed to our mission of diversity and equality in the system of justice.
For more information, contact NAWJ at its NATIONAL OFFICE, 1341 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036, phone: 202.393.0222, fax: 202.393.0125 or by email at nawj@nawj.org. Our website address is www.nawj.org.
10/9/2009 - UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS LAW SCHOOL STUDENT, DIANA COMES, ANNOUNCED 2009 JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR SCHOLARSHIP AWARDEE Diana M. Comes, J.D. Candidate for 2011 at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis will accept the $5,000 Scholarship Award given in the name of Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The presentation will take place during the National Association of Women Judges’ 31st Annual Conference, Justice on the River, Navigating Change at its Thursday, October 15th Keynote Luncheon which will feature Justice O’Connor as Keynote Speaker. The Scholarship was established by the National Association of Women Judges in 2006 to honor the legacy of the first woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. Justice O'Connor's life story and extraordinary professional achievements illustrate three core values: scholarship, leadership, and commitment to public service and equal justice. This scholarship will honor and perpetuate Justice O'Connor's legacy by annually recognizing the achievements and commitment of a law student who exemplifies the values that have guided Justice O'Connor throughout her extraordinary career.
A statement submitted by Ms. Comes:
While I am not the first in my farming family to attend college, I am the only one to attend graduate school. My three siblings and I grew up in a loving home, but without much money to spare. Education, I believed, was the key to doing what I loved: thinking, analyzing, and writing. When I chose to attend a private college, my parents wished me well, but I understood that it was my education, and my responsibility to pay for it.
At Rhodes College, I paid for tuition with grants, scholarships, and loans. What those did not cover, I worked for, often two or three jobs at once while taking full course loads: at the library circulation desk and media center, in the technology lab and writing center, and as a resident assistant. On weekends, I babysat. Working tirelessly for my education made me determined not to waste a second of my hard-earned time. I obtained a teaching assistantship, presented papers at College symposia, and undertook a year-long Honors project, which culminated in a 100-page thesis. What I put in was time, dedication, and curiosity; what I got out was discipline, experience, and intellectual satisfaction.
Outside of the classroom, though, I found my passion for working with women in the margins of society. Noticing the dearth of on-campus resources for sexual assault victims, I co-founded the Rhodes College Women’s Center, a network of peer crisis counselors staffing a 24-hour assault hotline. This successful hotline linked victims with solutions. As Director of the Executive Board, I oversaw campus awareness programs, including programs for men to bring them into the dialogue about assault. Work on the Center was challenging and exciting: in responding to a need I perceived in my community, I found my calling. Having struggled myself to rise above my limitations to claim my education, I identified with these women who, too, wrestled with obstacles standing in the way of the lives they had envisioned for themselves.
To the justice system, I bring my talents in service of those who face similar challenges. Though I continue to help myself, for example, by working two jobs my first year of law school while volunteering and taking a full course load, I am indebted to the countless women who have mentored and encouraged me. It is my duty and privilege to give back. In law school, I draw upon my background to improve access to justice for vulnerable peoples by volunteering at Memphis Area Legal Services and the Community Legal Center. I am also lobbying the Tennessee Legislature to adopt the forthcoming Uniform Collaborative Law Act, which would make access to women-dominated legal fields like family law cost-effective and efficient. Finally, I mentor younger women in the Association for Women Attorneys. I cannot ignore need because I know it too well. My greatest dream is to use my legal education to help women, on the broadest scale possible, and when they need it most, to see courage and tenacity within themselves.
Ms. Diana M. Comes is a second year law student at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis.
10/5/2009 - WOMEN IN PRISON CO-CHAIR HON. BRENDA MURRAY RECIEVES L’OREAL COMPANY’S ‘POINTS OF LIGHT’ AWARD In recognition of NAWJ’s impressive work with the State of Maryland through joint education programs with Anne Arundel Community College at Maryland’s Correctional Institute for Women, Administrative Law Judge Brenda P. Murray, the program’s spearhead and champion will receive the Point of Light Award made possible by the L’Oreal Company. One of ten winners, Judge Murray will receive $5,000 to grant to the charity of her choice, and the opportunity to compete for another, even more grand Award. The Awards Banquet will take place in New York City in December.
9/15/2009 - NAWJ PRESIDENT-ELECT DANA FABE ANNOUNCED 2010 DISTINGUISHED LECTURER BY GOLDEN GATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW Former NAWJ Executive Director Drucilla Ramey in her first act as Dean of Golden Gate University School of Law has instituted the Chief Justice Ronald M. George Distinguished Lectureship, which will annually feature an address by a distinguished state Chief Justice. NAWJ Member California State Supreme Court Chief Justice Ron George has graciously agreed to inaugurate the Keynote Address at 5:00PM on Tuesday, October 20, 2009, at Golden Gate, 536 Mission Street, San Francisco. NAWJ President-Elect Dana Fabe has agreed to be the 2010 Distinguished Lecturer.
All NAWJ members are most cordially invited.
9/8/2009 - NAWJ PRESIDENT ATTENDS INVESTITURE OF JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) President La Tia W. Martin attended the formal investiture ceremony for the Honorable Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic and third woman Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. President Barack Obama, Vice President Joseph Biden, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, numerous members of Congress and many others were in attendance to witness this historic event.
Justice Martin stated: "Our organization, the leading voice for woman jurists for more than thirty years, applauds the nomination of Justice Sotomayor by President Obama. Her confirmation by the Senate and today's investiture of yet another outstanding woman jurist to our nation's highest tribunal, is a testament to our nation's enduring commitment to merit, scholarship and the diverse face of justice in our great country."
For more information, contact Marie Komisar at (202) 393-0222.
8/5/2009 - NAWJ CALLS ON THE SUPPORT OF THE CONFERENCE OF CHIEF JUSTICES TO OPPOSE POLICIES THAT ALLOW SHACKLING INCARCERATED PREGNANT WOMEN IN TRANSPORATION, LABOR AND CHILDBIRTH The Women in Prison Committee sent the following Resolution to the Conference of Chief Judges urging the Conference to take a position opposing policies that permit shackling incarcerated pregnant women in transportation, in labor, and in child birth. The Women in Prison Committee is hopeful that through its active members within the Conference, NAWJ can persuade the Conference of Chief Judges to adopt the measure. Current NAWJ members in the Conference of Chief Justices include: Chief Judge Mary Mullarkey, Colorado Supreme Court; Chief Judge Chase T. Rogers, Connecticut Supreme Court; Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court; Chief Judge Laura Denvir Stith, Missouri Supreme Court; Chief Judge Sarah Parker, North Carolina Supreme Court; Chief Judge Maureen McKenna Goldberg, Rhode Island Supreme Court; Chief Judge Jean Hoefer Toal, South Carolina Supreme Court; Chief Justice Janice M. Holder, Tennessee Supreme Court; Chief Judge Christine Durham, Utah Supreme Court; and Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson, Wisconsin Supreme Court.
A current draft of the Resolution may be found here.
NAWJ’s Women in Prison Committee consist of co-chairs Hon. Brenda P. Murray and Hon. Betty J. Williams, and members Hon. Rita J. Baird, Hon. Susan Criss, Hon. Elisabeth Ashlea Earle, Hon. Laura Safer Espinoza, Hon. Debra A. James, Hon. Bernette J. Johnson, Hon. Joan Madden, Hon. Anne-Christine Massullo, and Hon. Renee Worke.
For more information contact Marie Komisar at (202) 393-0222.
7/23/2009 - NAWJ LANDMARK SPONSOR DICKSTEIN SHAPIRO LLP HOSTS LAUNCH OF NEWEST PROGRAM ON ADMINISTRATIVE, MILITARY AND SPECIALIZED COURTS Landmark Sponsor firm of Dickstein Shapiro LLP hosted the launch of NAWJ’s newest program on Administrative, Military and other Specialized Courts on July 23, 2009 at its offices in Washington D.C. Elaine Metlin, Esq., a member of the NAWJ’s Resource Board, and a partner at Dickstein Shapiro chaired the Planning Committee, working closely with NAWJ Vice President for Districts, Hon. Joan Churchill, a retired Immigration Judge, who drew the panel and served as moderator. A diverse panel of judges from 6 different types of unique courts in the Washington Metro area presented a brief overview of the breadth, complexity and volume of the cases they handle:
The Hon. Paige Marvel, U.S. Tax Court explained that the Tax Court is one of three courts where taxpayers can challenge their tax bills, but the only one where tax payers can litigate their bill before paying. In the past year the Tax Court has handled 31,900 disputes for a total of $23 billion in dispute. In more than 2/3rd of their cases, the tax payer is unrepresented. Appeals go to the 12 different U.S. Courts of Appeals.
Hon. Jeri Somers, Vice Chair of the U.S. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals explained the jurisdiction of her Court, which handles claims involving civilian departments of the Federal Government.
Hon. Joan Churchill, U.S. Immigration Judge retired, who served over 24 years on the bench of the Immigration Court, which is housed in the U.S. Department of Justice, mentioned that the number of judges rose from 30 when she began to over 200 now. She explained that the large increase in caseload is due largely to the increasing numbers of asylum cases, which has occurred while Congress has, over the course of the years, reduced the other forms of relief available.
Hon. Ann Yahner, Principal Administrative Law Judge with the DC Office of Administrative Hearings, reviewed the role of a city/state centralized office hearing administrative appeals from a variety of administrative agencies. She discussed that the largest percentage of their decisions are final decisions from which appeals go to the DC Court of Appeals (the highest Court for DC), while some of their decisions are not final decisions.
Col. Dawn Eflein, the first woman Chief Trial Judge of the U.S. Air Force touched on the role of U.S. Military courts, which operate throughout the world. She referenced the challenges presented for criminal trials by the recent Supreme Court decision requiring presentation of witnesses in connection with forensic reports.
Hon. Pauline Newman, who has sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit since its creation in 1984, gave a wrap up which stressed the value and importance of the many different types of special courts. She concluded with historical background of her own role in advocating for the creation of the Federal Circuit, in the face of political skepticism about specialized courts. She described the tension between general and specialized courts as an ongoing one. Her own court has a variety of types of cases that come before it, including patents, tax, veterans claims, and numerous others.
Program Chair Elaine Metlin made opening and closing remarks. Hon. Joan Churchill gave a brief background of the history of NAWJ and its structure and objectives. Carol Feinman, Chair of the NAWJ Administrative Judiciary Committee greeted attendees and Hon. Cathy Serrette, NAWJ District 4 Director gave an update of recent and upcoming District. Resource Board members Nicole Erb, White & Case LLP, Bridgia Benitez, Esq. of Wilmer Hale, and Amy Mauser, Esq., Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP participated with the planning.
Over 40 persons attended the panel. After the presentations, the audience, which consisted of attorneys from local law firms, members of NAWJ, students, law clerks, and members of academia mingled with the panelists and each other at a reception sponsored by our hosts.
The program, with another prestigious panel, will next be presented at the NAWJ Annual Meeting in Memphis, in October. The title of the October panel will be: Where have all the Cases Gone? to emphasize the increasing caseloads of the administrative and other specialized courts, while the numbers of trials in the general courts has been steadily declining.
For more information contact Marie Komisar at NAWJ. Tel: (202) 393-0222
7/15/2009 - NAWJ HOLDS FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING WITH CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS FOR WOMEN'S ISSUES On the morning of July 15, 2009, NAWJ President La Tia W. Martin and Meeting Chair Judge Juanita Bing Newton, Dean of the New York State Judicial Institute, together with 111th Congress’ Caucus for Women’s Issues Co-Chairs Rep. Janice Schakowsky of Illinois and Rep. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma hosted a revelatory exchange on pressing international and domestic challenges for women and girls in the world today. Nearly 60 judges, representatives, lawyers, government officials and bipartisan congressional staff were on hand for our Fourth Annual Breakfast Meeting between the National Association of Women Judges and the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues. The event took place inside the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC.
The meeting was opened with a warm welcome from Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, who urged us all to move the U.S. to sign on to the United Nations' Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly and often described as an international bill of rights for women; Congresswoman Mary Fallin’s reminded everyone that all corners of our political system are open and ready to continue the advancement of women.
Christina M. Tchen, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Executive Director of the newly created White House Council of Women and Girls, offered a spirited charge to continue the pursuit of equality and justice for women. She also advised that the administration of President Barack Obama was interested in seeking outstanding women and minority candidates for various positions.
Greetings were then given by Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor and former member of the House of Representatives who has used her outstanding leadership efforts to advance initiatives for women, girls and under-represented groups.
Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, delivered the Keynote Address on Violence Against Women: A Domestic and International Perspective. She focused on the need to recognize that women's rights are human rights and outlined the diplomatic efforts being made towards that end. A lively and informative question and answer period followed her remarks. In response to the exchange of information, NAWJ President challenged our organization to develop local program events throughout our 14 Districts designed to educate our membership and others on the need to address international and local domestic violence issues.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, introduced by NAWJ President Martin, stated that the efforts of NAWJ have resulted in the increase of women in the legal profession thereby changing the face of justice in America. The speaker remained at the meeting after her remarks and personally greeted all in attendance with enthusiasm and good cheer.
The sponsors for the successful meeting included: Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., Linda Morgan, Esq., National Association of Women Lawyers, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP and the Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia.
For more information, contact Marie Komisar at NAWJ. Tel: (202) 393-0222
5/27/2009 - NAWJ APPLAUDS NOMINATION BY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA OF JUDGE SONIA SOTOMAYOR AS NEXT U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE The National Association of Women Judges enthusiastically and wholeheartedly applauds the nomination by President Barack Obama of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to become the next member
of the United States Supreme Court. Judge Sotomayor is not only a brilliant jurist with extensive legal experience in both the public and private sectors, she also has insight into the daily lives of those affected by the decisions made by the courts. President Obama has clearly recognized the need for gender diversity among the members of our country’s Supreme Court and has selected a female nominee with impeccable credentials. The NAWJ supports this Presidential decision which reflects our principles and goals.
The National Association of Women Judges has been the leading voice for women jurists for more than thirty years. Founded in 1979 by two visionary women jurists, Justices Joan Dempsey Klein and Vaino Spencer, NAWJ is dedicated to increasing the number of women on the bench to more accurately reflect the role of women in a democratic society. The organization of more than 1,250 members has consistently strived to ensure fairness and gender equality in our judicial system, and has been at the forefront of efforts to
advance highly qualified women at all levels of the judiciary. In 1989, NAWJ participated in the Senate confirmation proceedings of member Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. We eagerly welcomed the naming of a second woman, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Court and lamented the recent change that made her the sole female judge.
NAWJ President, La Tia W. Martin stated “Today, we are elated that there will again be more than a single woman judge on the Court. On behalf of NAWJ, I salute the President for his historic choice of an outstanding woman jurist for one of the most critical positions in our nation.”
Contact: Marie Komisar, Executive Director, (202) 393-0222. MKomisar@nawj.org
3/25/2009 - FORMER NAWJ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DRUCILLA RAMEY TO BECOME DEAN OF GOLDEN GATE UNIVERSITY IN SAN FRANCISCO, CA Golden Gate University (GGU) announced the appointment of Drucilla Stender Ramey, former NAWJ Executive Director, as Dean-Elect of GGU’s School of Law. Drucilla Ramey will officially assume leadership of the Law School August 1, 2009, bringing her extensive experience as a practitioner, law professor, and director of national and regional professional legal organizations to her role as dean. As most of you may know, Drucilla Ramey served as Executive Director of the National Association of Women Judges in New York from 2005 until the end of the 2008 year, and was Executive Director and General Counsel for the Bar Association of San Francisco from 1985 to 2002. She has worked in numerous other nonprofit organizations, including the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the American College of Trial Lawyers and the Open Society Institute, and served as Chair of the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women and the ACLU of Northern California. Ms. Ramey served on the faculty at GGU Law School from 1978 to 1985.
Judge Thelton Henderson of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California has known Ramey since they served as co-counsel on a public interest law case before he joined the bench and in his capacity as a former adjunct professor at GGU Law. “Dru built the Bar Association of San Francisco into one of the most visible, active and successful bar associations in the country,” Henderson says. “She has a well-deserved national reputation as a person with vision and incredible energy and the ability to inspire people on her team. She will bring all of those assets to GGU.”
Founded in 1901, Golden Gate University School of Law offers full-time and part-time enrollment options leading to the Doctor of Jurisprudence and several advanced graduate law programs for practicing attorneys. Golden Gate University School of Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State of California and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Graduates qualify to take the bar exam in all 50 states and in the District of Columbia. For more information on GGU’s School of Law, visit http://www.ggu.edu/school_of_law
3/17/2009 - NAWJ PAST PRESIDENT HON. VANESSA RUIZ TO RECEIVE THE 2009 MARGARET BRENT AWARD NAWJ Past President, District of Columbia Court of Appeals Judge Vanessa Ruiz, has been named a recipient of the prestigious Margaret Brent Award, to be bestowed by the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession at its Awards Luncheon taking place during the ABA’s Annual Conference in Chicago this August 2, 2009 at the Fairmont Hotel.
As a distinguished jurist who is also active in a number of organizations that promote equal access to justice and the rule of law, the Honorable Vanessa Ruiz has made significant and long-lasting contributions to the advancement of women in the profession, and this award is made in recognition of all she has done as an outstanding leader of NAWJ. A Lifetime Member of NAWJ, Judge Ruiz has not only been an active member of NAWJ since 1996, and a member of its Executive Board in the capacities of President, President-Elect, VP of Publications, Secretary and Treasurer, but she has distinguished herself as a leader in each role as she steered the organization through difficult times. Judge Ruiz secured funding for one of NAWJ's emblematic, cutting edge educational programs, "Removing Obstacles to Justice for Immigrants" -- a significant educational program for judges that Judge Ruiz developed and that has been presented all over the country. Under her leadership, NAWJ hired a new executive director with whom she worked closely to promote NAWJ's mission and core values, as did other Presidents who came after her. As a representative of NAWJ, Judge Ruiz gave countless speeches and served on innumerable panels; as President, she wrote to appointing bodies to encourage the appointment of women and minorities to the bench; her letters to the editor shed light on important issues of the day including ‘And Then There Was One: With or Without Samuel Alito Jr., the Supreme Court Must Value Gender Diversity’ published in the Legal Times. A recipient of the NAWJ Justice Vaino Spencer Leadership Award in Portland at NAWJ’s 2008 Annual Conference, we are thrilled Judge Ruiz was so appropriately recognized.
The Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, established by the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession in 1991, recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of women lawyers who have excelled in their field and have paved the way to success for other women lawyers.
1/8/2009 - NAWJ CO-SPONSORS THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION'S MINDBUGS: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ORDINARY PREJUDICE NAWJ announces it will join in co-sponsorship of the American Bar Association’s Mindbugs: The Psychology of Ordinary Prejudice which will presented at the ABA’s Midyear Meeting in Boston, MA at the Hynes Convention Center from 10:00AM – Noon on February 13, 2009. Speaking on the topic will be Professor Mahzarin Banaji, Richard Clarke Cabot Professor of Social Ethics, Department of Psychology, Harvard University, who will lead a highly participatory discussion that will educate us on the effects of implicit and unconscious biases on all members of the legal profession. Professor Banjii believes these subtle biases influence how we perceive our clients and witnesses, interact with other attorneys and judges and attempt to persuade juries. On a day-to-day basis, they even affect how we make decisions on hiring, work distribution, evaluations, promotions and layoffs. Professor Banaji conducted groundbreaking research on mental processes that operate without our awareness, intention or control. Biases can actually be measured, as Professor Banaji co-developed the Implicit Association Test nearly a decade ago. This highly regarded test, as well as physiologic measures, can help us to understand how we view each other. Audience capacity for this must-see program is limited.
CLE credit has been requested. For more information about the program and to register online go to: http://www.abanet.org/women/midyear/mindbugs.html. Deadline for advance registration is February 5, 2009. Please download the flyer and the web summary for the event.
10/20/2008 - NAWJ ELECTS NEW BOARD MEMBERS AT ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN PORTLAND Westchester County (New York) Supreme Court Justice La Tia Martin succeeded Massachusetts Appeals Court Justice Fernande R.V. Duffly as President of the National Association of Women Judges. Near 400 attendees from across the country convened for ‘Keeping the Promise’, NAWJ’s 30th Annual Conference, held in Portland, Oregon from October 15-19, 2008.
The conference was overwhelmingly successful due to the tremendous hard work of the Conference Chairs, Judges Ellen Rosenblum, Julie Frantz, Jill Tanner and Mary Deits, Friends Committee Chair Lindsey H. Hughes, Deans Elizabeth Stephens and Elizabeth Davis, and Heather Weigler of the Oregon Department of Justice. We salute them for their outstanding efforts.
The Association elected its 2008-2009 Executive Committee members Hon. La Tia Martin, President; Hon. Dana Fabe, President-Elect; Hon. Joan V. Churchill, Vice President – Districts; Hon. Shelia Johnson, Vice President – Publications; Hon. Amy Nechtem, Secretary; Hon. Patricia Hurst, Treasurer; Hon. Fernande R.V. Duffly, Immediate Past President; Hon. Laura Jacobson, Projects Committee Chair; Hon. Barbara Madsen, Finance Committee Chair; Hon. Denise Owens, Director of Compliance and Training; Hon. Brenda Stith Loftin, Director of Strategic Planning and Implementation; Hon. Carolyn Engel Temin, International Director; Hon. Cara Lee Neville, ABA Delegate.
District Directors for 2008-2009 are Hon. Ariane Vuono, District One Director (MA, ME. NH, PR); Hon. Sherry Heitler and Hon. Barbara Leak District Two Co-Directors (NY, CT, VT); Hon. Stephanie Domitrovich, District Three Director (NJ, PA, DE); Hon. Cathy Hollenberg Serrette, District Four Director (MD, DC, VA); Hon. Cynthia Becker, District Five Director (FL, GA, NC, SC), Hon. Rosemary Ledet, District Six Director (AL, LA, MS, TN); Hon. Margaret Clark, District Seven Director (MI, OH, WV); Hon. Patricia Riley, District Eight Director (IN, IL, KY); Hon. Nancy Whittenburg, District Nine Director (MO, IA, WI); Hon. Carol Beier, District Ten Director (KS, MN, NE, ND, SD); Hon. Marisela Saldana, District 11 Director (TX, AR, OK); Hon. Vernice Trease, District 12 Director (AZ, CO, NM, UT, WY); Hon. Julie Frantz, District 13 Director (WA, OR, AK, HI, ID, MT); Hon. Cecilia Castellanos, District 14 Director (CA, NV).
9/3/2008 - BEST REGIONAL ATTENDANCE EVER NAWJ held the most well-attended regional conference in its history - the Midwest Leadership Conference in Chicago August 27-29. Regional Conference co-chairs, Judges Cheryl Cesario, Jane Craney and Sophia Hall, put on an incredible event, with three outstanding educational panels presented to record crowds. Two of these programs were co-sponsored by our frequent partner, the American Judicature Society (AJS), one of which (“Ethics Jeopardy”) was moderated by American Judicature Association President Gordon L. Doerfer. Thoughtful and perceptive remarks by Scott Turow were also a highlight of the conference. The riveting focus of the event, of course, was the Keynote Speech by our great friend Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg delivered at a luncheon attended by over 370 people, thanks in large part to the extraordinary work of the Chicago Friends Committee, co-chaired by Leslie Davis, Linda Listrom, Kathy Roach and Lisa Tchen. Scholarship Committee co-chairs, Jackie Lustig and Judge Nina Puglia, presented the first-ever Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Award to DePaul University law student, Allegra Cira. The two receptions could not have been more spectacular - one for the food and the views in the building where Judge Susan Fox Gillis makes her home, and the other for Justice Ginsburg's attendance with her family and her wonderful offer to engage in a wide-ranging “conversation” with me and the assembled judges.
8/5/2008 - HON. NANCY GERTNER - RECIPIENT OF AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION'S 2008 THURGOOD MARSHALL AWARD On August 9th, 2008, United States District Judge Nancy Gertner, Co-Chair of NAWJ’s Federal Courts Committee, will receive the ABA’s distinguished Thurgood Marshall Award. Only the second woman to receive this coveted award (the first was Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg), Judge Gertner’s selection was based on her lifelong extraordinary career of courageous and tireless efforts, both as an attorney and federal judge, to guarantee the Constitutional rights of women, racial minorities, criminal defendants, and other vulnerable populations in our society.
Established by the American Bar Association and the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities in 1992, the Thurgood Marshall Award honors U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, who epitomized individual commitment, in word and action, to the cause of civil rights in this country. The award recognizes similar substantial and long-term contributions by other members of the legal profession to the advancement of civil rights, civil liberties, and human rights in the United States.
7/28/2008 - AJS HONORS CHIEF JUDGE JUDITH S. KAYE WITH OPPERMAN AWARD FOR JUDICIAL EXCELLANCE Chief Judge of the State of New York, Judith S. Kaye of the New York Court of Appeals, has been selected recipient of AJS’s Fifth Annual Dwight D. Opperman Award for Judicial Excellence to be presented later this year. The American Judicature Society created the Opperman Award to honor a sitting state judge of a trial or appellate court who has had a career of distinguished judicial service. Chief Judge Kaye became the first woman to serve on the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, when she was appointed to the bench in 1983. She became chief judge in 1993.
7/28/2008 - AMERICAN INNS OF THE COURT NAMES HON. JUDITH CHIRLIN RECIPIENT OF PROFESSIONALISM AWARD Hon. Judith C. Chirlin, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge was recognized by the American Inns of Court with its 2008 Ninth Circuit Professionalism Award. The Award is presented annually “to honor a senior practicing lawyer or judge whose life and practice display sterling character and unquestioned integrity, coupled with ongoing dedication to the highest standards of the legal profession.” The organization also noted that Judge Chirlin is “known moreover for her work around the world in support of the Rule of Law. From Eastern Europe, including Latvia, Bulgaria, the Republic of Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Georgia and Russia; Central America; South America, including Chile Peru and Ecuador, and the Middle East, she has taught, lectured, and mentored. The capstone of all of that perhaps has been her work in support of re-establishing the judiciary in war-torn Iraq.”
The Seventh Circuit’s Professionalism Award went to Circuit Judge Ilana Rovner.
7/28/2008 - HON. SANDRA L. LYNCH FIRST WOMAN CHIEF JUDGE ON THE FIRST CIRCUIT OF THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS Judge Sandra L. Lynch became the ninth chief judge of the First Circuit Court of Appeals since Congress created the position in 1948, and the first woman to hold the post. Judge Lynch succeeded Chief Judge Michael Boudin on June 16. As chief judge, Judge Lynch will serve as executive officer of both the First Circuit Court of Appeals and the Judicial Council of the First Circuit. She will also represent the First Circuit in biannual meetings of the Judicial Conference of the U.S. Judge Lynch has served for 13 years on the First Circuit Court of Appeals and is the first and only woman judge on that court. She was appointed by President Bill Clinton on May 1, 1995, on the recommendations of Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John Kerry.
5/28/2008 - NAWJ RESOURCE BOARD MEMBER BERNICE LEBER TO LEAD NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION June marks the beginning of NAWJ Resource Board member and Arent Fox partner, Bernice K. Leber’s term as President of the New York State Bar Association, the largest voluntary bar association in the US (72,000 members). In addition, she currently serves as a director of the New York Bar Foundation; member of the Corporate Board Selection Committee of the Financial Women’s Association; First Vice-President from First District to the New York State Bar Association Executive Committee and House of Delegates; member of the Executive Committee of the Intellectual Property Section of the New York State Bar Association; and member of the Finance Committee of the State Bar Association. She is also former chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Commercial and Federal Litigation Section (1997-1998) and Past Chair-Elect of the Section; past Chair of the Subcommittees on Discovery, Appellate Practice, Federal Judiciary; and past member of the Courts of Superior Jurisdiction (1995-1998), Committee on Judicial Administration, and the Civil Courts Committee for the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.
Bernice K. Leber's practice concentrates on the prosecution and defense of complex civil business disputes, with an emphasis on those involving securities, financial and intellectual property.
5/5/2008 - HON. ELLEN F. ROSENBLUM RECEIVES ABA'S 2008 NELSON AWARD In recognition of her superior contributions to its organization as a public lawyer, the American Bar Association will honor Judge Ellen F. Rosenblum of the Oregon Court of Appeals, and this year’s NAWJ Annual Conference chair, with its 2008 Nelson Award. The American Bar Association notes that Judge Rosenblum joined its organization in 1975 and was first elected to the ABA House of Delegates in 1988, marking 20 years service. Over the course of her service, Judge Rosenblum participated and led numerous committee and sections within the ABA. Presently she is Chair of the Special Committee on Bioethics and Law; Judicial Division representative to the World Justice Commission; Section of State and Local Government Law council member; and Diversity Committee member of Tort, Trial and Insurance Section. She has helped plan and organize the Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division’s 2007 Fall Meeting in Portland, Oregon, serving as moderator of an ethics panel.
The Nelson Award was established as a tribute to the late L. Clair Nelson, who served as a Council member of the Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division. He contributed his loyalty, time and extraordinary talent to American Bar Association activities and held numerous leadership positions within the ABA. The Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the ABA by a government or public sector lawyer, and all government and public sector lawyers are eligible nominees. The Division considers an individual's specific extraordinary accomplishments as well as sustained superior contributions to the ABA over a number of years.
The Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division's mission is to serve the nation’s public lawyers. By promoting integrity and excellence among public advocates, providing meaningful services not obtainable elsewhere, and by highlighting the extraordinary work of public lawyers, the Division works to enhance the position of public lawyers and create camaraderie and pride within the public sector. The Division is dedicated to providing representation within the ABA for government and public sector lawyers who make up one eighth of the legal profession.
According to Conference organizers, “despite best intentions and a variety of women's initiatives, legal employers are still having a difficult time retaining and promoting women lawyers.” The conference will provide legal employers with innovative, proven strategies for advancing women lawyers and, ultimately, strengthening their organizations for the future.
Project for Attorney Retention is an initiative of the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California Hastings College of the Law (formerly the Program on Gender, Work and Family at American University Washington College of Law). It is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and other grantors, and supported by the Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia.
For more information go to PAR’s website www.pardc.org, send email to conference@pardc.org or call (415) 565-4640. Conference fees are $149 per person. Please make checks payable to UC Hastings College of the Law. UC Hastings College of the Law, 200 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94102.
4/15/2008 - MASSACHUSETTS’ LEGAL COMMUNITY COMES OUT FOR NAWJ’S NORTHEASTERN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE Over 400 people attended the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) Northeastern Leadership Conference and Midyear Meeting weekend of events April 11 - 13, 2008 in Boston. Highlighting the Conference was Keynote Luncheon Speaker Jeffrey Toobin, CNN commentator and New Yorker staff writer, delivering a captivating précis of his current bestseller, The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court. The luncheon took place in the luxurious Cityview Room in the World Trade Center, overlooking a magnificent view of the Boston harbor.
Following Mr. Toobin’s remarks, a panel on the always hot topic of court-press, press-court relations entitled "The First Amendment and the High Profile Case" and moderated by the engaging NewsCenter 5 TV reporter, Amalia Barreda, featured the informed and provocative views of Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, the Hon. Gordon Doerfer, President-Elect of the American Judicature Society; U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner, Joan Kenney, Public Information Officer of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court; and Joan Lukey, a nationally prominent litigator and partner at WilmerHale. Judging by the range of views of the panelist, and questions and remarks by audience members and press representative, moderator Barreda alike, while recognition was paid to the importance of the role of judges and the independence of the courts and judicial processes, most everyone recognized the need for mature communications developments between the press and the courts that will improve not only knowledge of the facts of the case, but also help the public understand what issues the courts set out to address and did or could not with judgments on the case.
Presiding over the conference, Massachusetts Court of Appeals Justice Fernande Duffly, NAWJ’s first Asian American President “was delighted to have presented this wonderful conference here in this beautiful and historically rich City of Boston,” “and to have welcomed judges from across the Northeast, as well as our National Board of Directors and the distinguished Co-Chairs of our Friends Committee, Lena Goldberg and Alice Richmond who reached out and brought in an extraordinarily broad cross-section of our legal community with support of all kinds."
Honoring the first woman to serve on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Justice (Retired) Ruth Abrams in the setting of the beautiful Social Law Library in the Adams Courthouse, President Duffly proudly awarded a Certificate of Ruth I. Abrams Scholarship to Suffolk University Law School student, Matilda Ingabire Mutanguha, in recognition of her meaningful work done to advance the understanding of challenges faced by women lawyers and jurists in the legal profession.
The Ruth I. Abrams Endowment for Women and the Law of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Historical Society, an educational trust managed by the Social Law Library presented Ms. Mutanguha with a check of five thousand dollars.
Conference attendees also took advantage of the opportunity for evening social engagement at the historic Parkman House on Beacon Hill, and a breakfast toast to Massachusetts Chief Justice Margaret Marshall at Jurys Hotel.
3/31/2008 - US AIR FORCE (RETIRED) LINDA STRITE MURNANE AND ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE (RETIRED) RUTH COOPER BURG TO RECEIVE THE MARGARET BRENT AWARD NAWJ member Colonel (US Air Force, Retired) Linda Strite Murnane has been named a recipient of the prestigious Margaret Brent Award, to be bestowed by the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession at the ABA Annual Conference in New York City this August. Since her involvement as an active NAWJ member, and throughout her career, Linda has been a constant mentor for women. She paved the way for women lawyers in the military, opening doors that were historically closed to them, and advancing opportunities for women in the military as well as championing the rights and opportunities of women and minorities generally. Linda's historical review of the legislative changes which have literally transformed the Armed Forces' approach to women in their ranks was recently published by the Duke Law Journal of Gender Law and Policy and details the very difficult challenges that she and other women faced during the period in which she served her country.
Administrative Judge (Retired) Ruth Cooper Burg was also named a recipient of the ABA's 2008 Margaret Brent Award. In 1972, Ruth was the first woman appointed to serve as Administrative Judge and Division Head of the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals; she served as the only woman on that bench for 8 years, and since then acted as a mentor for every woman appointed. Among a long list of firsts, Ruth also was the first woman to chair the ABA section on Public Contract Law. In recognition of Ruth's many years of active mentoring of other women who since then have participated as chairs or members of the section, the ABA instituted an annual luncheon in her honor, the Ruth C. Burg Luncheon for Women in Public Contract Law.
We are thrilled that two of our long-time members have been so appropriately recognized, and are enormously proud to include both among the very long and prestigious list of NAWJ members and staff who have received this award.
3/5/2008 - HON. NANCY GERTNER - RECIPIENT OF AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION'S 2008 THURGOOD MARSHALL AWARD On August 9th, 2008, United States District Judge Nancy Gertner, Co-Chair of NAWJ’s Federal Courts Committee, will receive the ABA’s distinguished Thurgood Marshall Award. Only the second woman to receive this coveted award (the first was Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg), Judge Gertner’s selection was based on her lifelong extraordinary career of courageous and tireless efforts, both as an attorney and federal judge, to guarantee the Constitutional rights of women, racial minorities, criminal defendants, and other vulnerable populations in our society.
Established by the American Bar Association and the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities in 1992, the Thurgood Marshall Award honors U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, who epitomized individual commitment, in word and action, to the cause of civil rights in this country. The award recognizes similar substantial and long-term contributions by other members of the legal profession to the advancement of civil rights, civil liberties, and human rights in the United States.
1/21/2008 - PRES. DUFFLY RECEIVES 'TRAILBLAZER' AWARD The Northeast Region of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association recognized NAWJ President Fernande Duffy as ‘Trailblazer'. NAWJ President Nan Duffly, a longtime member and supporter of the Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts, was proudly nominated by the AALAM for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (“NAPABA”) Northeast Region’s 2007 Trailblazer Award, and was awarded that honor at its National Convention in Las Vegas in the Fall. Judge Duffly has served as a role model and inspiration to many. Also pictured Hon. Erica Yew and Hon. Carrie Zepada on the Santa Clara County Superior Court in California and Hon. Tammy Ryu, on the Los Angeles Superior Court in California.
Hon. Fernande R.V. Duffly - Diversity Hero At a banquet in Boston President Fernande Duffly accepted the Diversity Hero award presented by the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly for “a commitment to advancing Asian-Americans as lawyers and judges." The Diversity Hero Award recognizes President Duffly’s awareness of “the difficulties faced by minority litigants trying to navigate the channels of the judiciary. A seemingly chronic shortage of interpreters to assist non-English-speaking litigants in the court system is one challenge they must contend with. Cultural differences pose another, as Duffly explains: 'I remember an Asian woman who wanted to give up any interest she had in property and children; she said that was her tradition. I asked for a volunteer lawyer to represent her. I couldn't do what she was asking until she had good representation by someone who spoke Chinese.'"
7/12/2007 - COUNTERBALANCE The newest edition of Counterbalance, NAWJ's biannual newsletter, is now available online for NAWJ members.
2/2/2007 - NY CHAPTER OF NAWJ INSTALLS NEW OFFICERS The New York Chapter of the National Association of Women Judges installed its officers on Saturday, January 27, 2007 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan, New York. Chief Judge of the State of New York, Judith S. Kaye, gave the oath of office to Supreme Court Justice La Tia Martin, President of The New York Chapter, and other officers before a group of one hundred women judges, lawyers and friends. Judge Brenda Stith Loftin, president of NAWJ, was in attendance to congratulate Judge Martin and present her with a bouquet of flowers. Later that evening, Judges Martin and Loftin celebrated the occasion by attending a performance by the nine time Grammy Awards and Pulitzer Prize in Music jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis at the Paramount Theater. The pair later attended a private reception held in the musician's honor.
2007 NEW YORK CHAPTER OFFICERS
First Vice-President: Judge Barbara Howe Vice Presidents: Justice Sherry Klein Heitler, Judge Renee Forgensi Minarik, Justice Barbara I. Panepinto, Justice Sheri S. Roman Secretary: Justice E. Jeanette Odgen Treasurer: Justice Laura L. Jacobson
1/10/2007 - NAWJ PRESIDENT IN WASHINGTON, DC FOR EVENTS HONORING SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, REP. NANCY PELOSI Hon. Brenda Stith Loftin proudly represented NAWJ at two magnificent events celebrating Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s ascension to the position of Speaker of the House. On January 3, 2007, Judge Loftin attended a Tea, held at the Mellon Auditorium in The Great Hall, honoring both Rep. Pelosi and the late Hon. Ann Richards. More than 400 women leaders from all across the country, Democrat and Republican alike, were in attendance. After brunch the following morning at the Library of Congress, Rep. Pelosi was sworn in as Speaker of the House. She is the first woman in this nation’s history to hold the position.
12/18/2006 - NAWJ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN PROVIDENCE JOURNAL ON THE IMPACT OF THE FIRST WOMAN CHIEF JUDGE IN RHODE ISLAND NAWJ Executive Director, Drucilla Ramey, shared her thoughts with the Providence Journal on the recent elevation of Hon. Mary M. Lisi who, this month, succeeded Hon. Ernest C. Torres as chief judge of the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island. Chief Judge Lisi is the first woman to hold that position and only the second woman in Rhode Island history to head a major court. The late Hon. Florence K. Murray, who was presiding justice of the state Superior Court, was the first. Read the Providence Journal article (free membership signup may be required).
12/8/2006 - 2007 CONFERENCE HOST HOTEL ANNOUNCED The 29th Annual NAWJ Conference is November 7 - 11, 2007 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia, PA. Room rates are $198 Single and $228 Double. Register today to ensure you are able to take advantage of this great rate. The group identifier is National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ). Call today! 1-866-516-1100 or 215-963-1500.
12/6/2006 - COUNTERBALANCE The Fall 2006 edition of Counterbalance, NAWJ's biannual newsletter, is available online for NAWJ members.
11/29/2006 - NAWJ WEIGHS IN ON MINORITY LAWYER PROGRESSION IN NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL On November 29, 2006, The New York Times published an article reviewing the results of a study prepared by UCLA law professor Richard H. Sander. An abstract of the article is available here. See also Richard H. Sander, The Racial Paradox of the Corporate Law Firm, 84 N.C. L. Rev. 1755 (2006). In his study, Professor Sander cited poor grades as the primary reason that African-Americans are lagging at major law firms The following is NAWJ's editorial response:
To the Editor:
“Lawyers Debate Why Blacks Lag at Major Firms” did not acknowledge the many bar association- and court-sponsored diversity studies that have documented patterns of racial bias that continue to impede the progress of minorities, especially African-Americans, Latinos and Native Americans, in large law firms.
Many of these studies focus on an often unconscious presumption of incompetence that clouds law firm decision-making with respect to minority attorneys. The result is that minority associates are disproportionately denied training and mentoring opportunities; early mistakes are often fatal to the advancement of minority attorneys while excused for their white peers; and desirable assignments, case referrals and opportunities for partner and client contact tend to be funneled more often to white associates.
These findings belong in any discussion of the factors determining the career success of minority attorneys and the larger question of our society’s ability to achieve a diverse legal profession.
Brenda Stith Loftin President, National Association of Women Judges St. Louis, Nov. 30, 2006
10/5/2006 - NEW NAWJ LOGO PIN AVAILABLE This stunning NAWJ logo pin, created by award-winning jeweler Judith Kinghorn for the 1999 NAWJ annual conference in Florida (Google "Judith Kinghorn jewelry" for samples of her work at museums/shows around the country), will be available on a one-time, advance order basis only and ready by the Philadelphia conference. To get yours, you must order now and pay in advance ($250 for the silver; price to be determined for gold and gold/silver). You may send a check payable to "National Association of Women Judges" to NAWJ, ATTN: Pin Offer, 1341 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 4.2, Washington DC 20036, or call (202) 393-0222 to pay by credit card. Don't delay. Get your NAWJ pin today! Orders must be submitted before November 30, 2006. Because Judith is providing the pins at cost, $100 of your payment represents a charitable donation to NAWJ.
9/6/2006 - NAWJ PAST-PRESIDENT JUDGE VANESSA RUIZ HONORED WITH CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS INSTITUTE'S LATINA LEADER AWARD IN LAW Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis (CA-32) and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute have joined forces to recognize the accomplishments of outstanding Hispanic women in the respective professional arenas, and their impact on the Hispanic community. Congratulations to Judge Ruiz who will receive the Latina Leader Award in Law for her notable contributions in the field which have helped the advancement of the Hispanic community and served as an inspiration to countless young people.
6/30/2006 - JUDGE SHAPIRO WINS 2006 JOHN MARSHALL AWARD Judge Norma L. Shapiro, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, has won the 2006 John Marshall Award in recognition of her exemplary lifelong commitment and dedication to the improvement of the administration of justice in the categories of Judicial Independence, Justice System Reform, and Public Awareness regarding the Justice System. The Award will be presented at the Dinner in Honor of the Judiciary during the ABA Annual Meeting at the Halekulani Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Sunday, August 6, 2006.
6/30/2006 - NAWJ CO-SPONSORS ABA RESOLUTION SUPPORTING INDIGENT PRO BONO REPRESENTATION NAWJ has voted to support, as a Co-Sponsor, the Commission on the Renaissance of Idealism in the Legal Profession's ABA Resolution 121C urging the judiciary to encourage, facilitate and recognize pro bono representation of indigent parties in civil cases, consistent with applicable ethical constraints and federal, state and local legal restrictions. NAWJ congratulates the Commission on its fine work on this Resolution and the corresponding Resolutions which will also come before the House of Delegates at the Annual Meeting.
6/29/2006 - NAWJ ACCESS TO JUSTICE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS The National Association of Women Judges Access to Justice Scholarship is awarded to law students who have demonstrated a sustained and passionate commitment to the achievement of equality of opportunity and access in the system of justice. Click here to view this year's scholarship recipients.
5/26/2006 - ALASKA SUPREME COURT JUSTICE DANA FABE SELECTED CHIEF JUSTICE Congratulations to Alaska Supreme Court Associate Justice Dana Fabe who was just selected by her colleagues to serve as Chief Justice for Alaska, replacing Chief Justice Alexander O. Bryner. Justice Fabe was the first woman appointed to serve on the Alaska Supreme Court and was the first woman to serve as Alaska’s Chief Justice from July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2003. This will be her second term as Chief Justice. She will begin her three-year term on July 1, 2006. See the press release here. Read Justice Fabe’s bio here.
5/1/2006 - NAWJ CO-SPONSORS ABA PIPELINE DIVERSITY RESOLUTION NAWJ recently submitted a letter affirming its co-sponsorship of the ABA Council on Racial and Ethnic Justice's Resolution urging support for programs and services to enhance racial and ethnic diversity in the educational "pipeline" to the legal profession, up to and including successful passage of the bar exam. The goal of the Resolution is to achieve maximum diversity in the pool of new entrants to the legal profession by catalyzing the efforts of bar associations, bar examiners, the Law School Admission Council, law schools, undergraduate institutions, primary and secondary schools, and others to eliminate arbitrary and unfair barriers to entry and to provide the programs and initiatives necessary to maximize opportunities for people of color to enter and successfully traverse the track to becoming a member of the legal profession.
5/1/2006 - NAWJ SUPPORTS PROPOSED FEDERAL LEGISLATION AMENDING THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS ACT TO ENSURE FAIRNESS IN PROVISION OF TELEPHONE SERVICE FOR INCARCERATED PERSON NAWJ recently submitted a letter in support of HR 4466, federal legislation that would amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal Communications Commission to prescribe rules for provision of inmate telephone service that would not unfairly impair inmates' ability to communicate by telephone with their children, family members and others, thereby enhancing successful community reentry and reintegration, and reducing recidivism among ex-offenders.
4/17/2006 - EDNA PARKER AWARD BANQUET AND RECEPTION On Tuesday, June 13, 2006, NAWJ will host the Edna Parker Award Banquet and Reception in honor of new and recently elevated women judges at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC. For more information and to rsvp for this event, please download the following document.
4/16/2006 - NAWJ MID-YEAR MEETING HELD IN SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO The Board of Directors held its Mid-Year meeting in the place where Judge Ruiz, NAWJ President, was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Members of the local legal community came together and sponsored the meeting which consisted of a reception on Friday evening with members of the local Judiciary and legal community; Board meetings (of course); the presentation of one of NAWJ signature programs, Genome Justice, with local members of the Judiciary and legal community in attendance; and a reception and dinner hosted at the Governors Mansion by the Governor and his lovely wife. A big thank you to Governor Anibal Acevedo Vila' and the First Lady, Luisa Gandara, and also to Chief Justice Federico Hernandez Denton and his wife, Isabel Hernandez Denton for being so gracious during our visit.
We would like to thank the following law firms, individuals, and organizations for their sponsorship: Axtmayer, PSC; Bird Bird & Hestres; De La Cruz Skerrett Law Offices; Goldman, Antonetti & Cordova; Indiano & Williams; Lasa, Monroig & Veve; McConnell Valdés; Monserrate & Monserrate; Manuel San Juan, Esq.; Pinto, Lugo & Rivera; Ramos Díaz Acevedo; Schuster Usera Aguiló & Santiago; Federal Bar Association; and the Inter-American Bar Association.
We extend a very special thank you to Mr. Richard Graffam, for his tireless efforts on our behalf. Mr. Graffam is a partner in the law firm of McConnell Valdés.
4/13/2006 - THEY SO RULE! The winter issue of Lawdragon Magazine features the first ever guide to the country’s leading public and private judges. Lawyers nationwide singled out the Lawdragon 500 Leading Judges in America as the very best of the bench. View the list of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Judges.
3/10/2006 - NAWJ SHINES AT GALA RECEPTION On Monday, March 6, 2006, NAWJ hosted a magical Gala Reception in Washington DC, honoring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor with its first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award. Read our recap here.
3/1/2006 - NAWJ RESPONDS TO PROPOSED ABA JUDICIAL CODE PROVISIONS NAWJ recently filed final comments with respect to the proposed language contained in the 2005 Final Draft Report of the ABA Joint Commission to Evaluate the Model Code of Judicial Conduct (http://www.abanet.org/judicialethics/finaldraftreport.html), Proposed Rule 4.04(b)(3) and proposed Comment 8 to that Rule, which we believe will have a chilling effect on the ability of judges to attend, participate in or accept offers to speak at events of minority, women’s and other specialty bar associations and charitable organizations, even where other ethical code prohibitions (such as fundraising) do not come into play. Read comments here.
1/24/2006 - JUDGE MURDOCK STRIKES DOWN MARYLAND BAN ON GAY MARRIAGE On Friday, January 20, 2006, Judge M. Brooke Murdock of District 4 struck down Maryland’s 33-year-old ban on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional. Read the Washington Post story here. Download the opinion here.
1/1/2006 - PRESIDENT RUIZ'S OP-ED TO SAN FRANCISCO RECORDER AND LETTER TO SENATOR SPECTER ON SUPREME COURT NOMINATION NAWJ has posted the article written by NAWJ President, Vanessa Ruiz and published in the San Francisco Recorder regarding filling the vacancy on the Supreme Court. Click here to download the document in Microsoft Word format. On January 5, we delivered a letter along similar lines to Senator Specter. Click here to download the document in Microsoft Word format.
12/1/2005 - SELECTION OF THE EDNA G. PARKER AWARD RECIPIENT The Edna G. Parker Award Committee has announced that the Committee, by unanimous vote, has selected the Honorable Kathleen O'Ferrall Friedman, Associate Judge, Retired, Circuit Court for Baltimore City to receive the Edna G. Parker Award. Click here to download the announcement in Microsoft Word format.
9/25/2005 - NAWJ LANDMARK SPONSORS The National Association of Women Judges wants to thank all of the following law firms, corporations and individuals who have so generously supported NAWJ in its first-ever National Fund Campaign. Click here to view NAWJ's supporters.
9/10/2005 - NAWJ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NAMED The National Association of Women Judges announces that it has named as its Executive Director Drucilla Stender Ramey, former Executive Director and General Counsel of the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF).
9/1/2005 - HELP COURTS AFFECTED BY HURRICANE KATRINA In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the National Center for State Courts has been inundated with calls from courts around the country asking how they can help the courts in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
To respond to this need, the NCSC is establishing a clearinghouse for the nation’s courts to identify equipment, personnel, and other resources that can be made available to the affected courts. In turn, the courts in the devastated areas can list resources most needed for them to recover and rebuild.
“We’ve created this clearinghouse to provide one central location for the coordination of the resources available with those required. This is one small way we can aid our colleagues during this time of great need,” said Mary Campbell McQueen, NCSC president. NCSC staff will work with the leaders in the affected states to share this information so as to facilitate the distribution of resources.
5/1/2005 - LETTER TO ABA JOINT COMMISSION TO EVALUATE THE MODEL CODE OF JUDICIAL CONDUCT NAWJ has posted the following document, Comments of National Association of Women Judges on March 2005 Draft Model Code of Judicial Conduct of the Joint Commission to Evaluate the Model Code of Judicial Conduct. Click here to download the document in Microsoft Word format.
There is a program on April 18th in NY with the author, Joanne Gordon, and the 100 women and their guests. It will be held at JP Morgan Chase headquarters in NY. Judge White will be on the panel with the author and 3 others featured in the book.
