2016 IAWJ Biennial International Conference

May 26, 2016 - All day - May 29, 2016

Omni Shoreham Hotel

2500 Calvert St NW

Washington, DC 20008

"Women Judges and the Rule of Law: Assessing the Past, Anticipating the Future"

Registrations have ended for this event date.

Event Details

Evaluations

Please take a moment and complete online evaluations for sessions you attended during IAWJ's 13th Biennial. You may answer online, or download the form and fax to NAWJ at 202.393.0125, or email: lcousin@nawj.org.

You may also mail the form to NAWJ, 1001 Connecticut Avenue, MW, Suite 1138, Washington, D.C., 20036 USA.

Please note: written supporting materials for sessions will be made available on this site over in the upcoming weeks. A link to the Written Materials page will be sent to attendees via email. NAWJ is still gathering resources from session speakers and coordinators.

Click on the session title to begin the evaluation online:

• EQUALITY'S FRONTIERS (Download the form to fax or mail here.)

• THE GENDER AND INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW PROJECT (Download the form to fax or mail here.)

• NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN LAW (Download the form to fax or mail here.)

• CHALLENGES FOR WOMEN JUDGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA REGION (Download the form to fax or mail here.)

• JUDICIAL MINDFULNESS (Download the form to fax or mail here.)

• MOOT COURT: GRACE SSALI AND DAUGHTERS V. UNITED REPUBLIC OF MALAGANDA (Download the form to fax or mail here.)

• RESTORATIVE JUSTICE (Download the form to fax or mail here.)

• GLOBAL WOMEN IN PRISON (Download the form to fax or mail here.)

• COURTS IN CRISIS: MAINTAINING THE RULE OF LAW IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS (Download the form to fax or mail here.)

• WOMEN AND GIRLS IN DETENTION (Download the form to fax or mail here.)

International Association of Women Judges

CONFERENCE COMMITTEES

Conference Co-Chairs

Honorable Jane Craney, Morgan Superior Court 3, Indiana

Honorable Carolyn Engel Temin, Court of Common Pleas, 1st Judicial District of Pennsylvania (Retired)

Advisory Committee

Honorable Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, NAWJ-USA President 2013-2014

Honorable Tamarin Dunnet, IAWJ Secretary/Treasurer

Honorable Julie Frantz, NAWJ-USA President 2014-2015

Honorable Gladys Kessler, NAWJ-USA President 1982-1983

Honorable Teresita Leonardo de Castro, IAWJ President

Honorable Amy Nechtem, NAWJ-USA President 2011-2012

Honorable Vanessa Ruiz, NAWJ-USA President 2005-2006

Honorable Lisa Walsh, NAWJ-USA President 2015-2016

Honorable Ann Walsh Bradley, NAWJ-USA International Director

Education Committee

Honorable Ann Walsh Bradley, NAWJ-USA International Director

Honorable Judith Chirlin (Retired), Western Justice Center, Co-Chair

Honorable Dana Fabe, Alaska Supreme Court

Anne Goldstein, International Association of Women Judges, Co-Chair

Honorable Tamila Ipema, California Superior Court, San Diego County

Honorable Denise Johnson

Honorable Arline Pacht

Professor Judith Resnik, Yale Law School

Honorable Margret Robb, Indiana Court of Appeals, Co-Chair

Honorable Patricia Whalen, Consultant, Special Advisor to the War Crimes Chamber

Social Events Committee Co-Chairs

Honorable Jennifer Gee, U.S. Dept. of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges

Honorable Sandra Robinson, State of New Jersey

Keynote Speakers Committee Chair

Honorable Cindy Lederman, 11th Judicial Circuit Juvenile Court, Florida

Opening Ceremony Committee Co-Chairs

Honorable Gladys Kessler, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia

Honorable Vanessa Ruiz, District of Columbia Court of Appeals

Souvenir Bags Committee

Honorable Marguerite Downing, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, Chair

Honorable Mary Hotard Becnel, 40th Judicial District Court, Louisiana

Honorable Diana Becton, Superior Court of California, Contra Costa County

Debra Dubovich, Esq., Levy & Dubovich

Honorable Diane Kavadias Schneider, Lake Superior Court, Indiana

Honorable Bobbi Tillmon, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles

Publications Committee

Honorable Brenda Stith Loftin, NAWJ-USA President 2006-2007, St. Louis County Circuit

Court (Retired), Chair

Honorable Diana Eagon, Hennepin County District Court (Retired), Florida

Honorable Bernette Johnson, Louisiana Supreme Court

Honorable Betty Williams, New York State Supreme Court, Kings County

Honorable Renee Worke, Minnesota Court of Appeals

Honorable Patricia Wise, Hinds County Chancery Court, Mississippi

Hospitality Suite Committee Chair

Honorable Julia Weatherly, Circuit Court for Prince George's County, Maryland,

Security Committee Chair

Honorable Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, District of Columbia Court of Appeals

Tours Committee

Honorable Brenda Murray, NAWJ-USA President 1992-1993, United States Securities and

Exchange Commission, Chair

Honorable Judith Boggs, Benefits Review Board

Honorable Marcella A. Holland, Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland (Retired)

Honorable Margaret Mangan, District of Columbia Office of Hearings

Volunteers Committee

Honorable Erin Wirth, Federal Maritime Commission, Chair

Elizabeth Briones, NAWJ Intern, George Washington University Law School Student

Ellison Hersch, Smith College Student

Vicki Kinne, Legal Assistant, Skadden Arps

Michele Kimball, Ph.D., Professorial Lecturer, George Washington University

Liz Mincer, William and Mary Law School Student

Bahati Mutisya, Law Clerk to the Honorable Anna Blackburne-Rigsby

Honorable Theresa Timlin, Administrative Law Judge, Department of Labor

First Time Attendees Committee

Honorable Barbara Zúñiga, Superior Court of California, Contra Costa County, Chair

Honorable Ann Breen-Greco, Illinois State Board of Education

Honorable Christopher Bowen, Superior Court of California, Contra Costa County

Honorable Heather Huhtanen

Silent Auction Committee Chair

Hon. Joy Cossich Lobrano, Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal

Friends Committee

Deborah Froling, Esq., Kutak Rock

Patricia Gillette, Esq., Orrick, Herrington& Sutcliffe LLP

Elizabeth M. Hernandez, Esq., Akerman LLP

Linda Leali, Esq., Linda Leali, P.A.

Presentations, Readings, Written Materials

FRIDAY, MAY 27 2016
10:30 am - 12:00 pm	EQUALITY'S FRONTIERS Jurists serving on their countries' highest courts will reflect, in a conversation with Professor Judith Resnik, on the role of law and on their own work in responding to inequality and in considering the future of mandates for fair and equal treatment. Readings: People of the Philippines vs. Marivic Genosa [Supreme Court of the Philippines, Jan. 15, 2004] An Act Defining Violence Against Women and Their Children, Providing for Protective Measure for Victims, Prescribing Penalties Therefore, and for Other Purposes [Philippines, Mar. 8, 2004] Yemshaw v London Borough of Hounslow [Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, Jan. 26, 2011] Domestic Violence Office, Supreme Court of Argentina Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence Due Diligence and Gender Violence: Parsing its Power and its Perils by Julie Goldscheid; Debra J. Liebowitz R. v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, Mar. 18, 2015] M.L.B. v. S.L.J [United States Supreme Court, Dec. 16, 1996] Equality's Frontiers: Courts Opening and Closing by Judith Resnik
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm	GENDER AND INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW PROJECT This session explores how you can use a database compiled by the War Crimes Research Office and the Women in International Law Project at American University Washington School of Law. The database contains more than 30,000 documents, is available free to judges and can be used to support your research in gender violence cases and cases involving conflict related violence.
1:45 pm - 3:15 pm	NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN LAW Women judges in both domestic and international arenas face situations that demand a gendered perspective. Assessing the past and anticipating the future allows us to look at the work we are currently doing in diverse jurisdictions. The panelists will discuss a variety of issues including the new rule of law focus of a treaty-based organization, The International Commission on Missing Persons. Kathryne Bomberger, the Director-General, will present their agenda for addressing issues concerning the world's missing persons. The Commission's humanitarian work represents a genuine innovation in international law as well as an important new resource for every justice system in the world. Panelists will also discuss judging in different contexts from politically challenging environments to using a gendered perspective in international and domestic courts. Readings: Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina v Milorad Trbic [Court of Bosnia]
3:45 pm - 5:00 pm	CHALLENGES FOR WOMEN JUDGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA REGION Judges from Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia will discuss challenges facing women judges in the MENA region. The IAWJ presently is working with judges in this region, exploring professional challenges faced by women in the judiciary and legal challenges faced by women and girls seeking access to justice through the courts. The discussion will focus on post-Arab Spring developments in the law -from children's rights to new laws concerning human trafficking and anti- terrorism initiatives. Readings: Jordan: UN Rights Expert Calls for Prevention of Human Trafficking by Improving Working Conditions for Jordanians, Migrants and Refugees, 4 February 2016 [UN High Commissioner for Refugees] 2015 United States Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report, find for country reports for Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco 2015 United States Department of State Country Reports Human Rights Practices, find reports for Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco
SATURDAY, MAY 28 2016
6:30 am - 7:30 am	JUDICIAL MINDFULNESS We begin our day with an experiential session about a scientifically proven, systematic practice that awakens our innate abilities to deal with the effects of everyday realities like stress, multi-tasking, fatigue and case overload. As we tune into our internal weather patterns we unlock the door for developing skills to improve our performance and well-being, on and off the bench. What to bring: curiosity, a beginner's mind and a non-judgmental attitude. Readings: The Art of Being Mindful in the Legal World: A Challenge for Our Times by Judge Alan S. Gold Could Mindfulness Improve Judicial Decision Making? by Tess M.S. Neal, PhD and Eve M. Brank, JD, PhD, University of Nebraska RESOURCES: The Mindful Judge
8:00 am - 10:00 am	MOOT COURT: GRACE SSALI AND DAUGHTERS V. UNITED REPUBLIC OF MALAGANDA An international panel of judges will rule on a complaint filed against "Malaganda" before the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights. The facts of the case are based on the case presented to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Atala Riffo and Daughters v. Chile. In the Atala Riffo case, a woman judge from Chile lost custody of her children in the domestic courts of her country because she was living in a same-sex relationship with another woman. In this Moot Court, a mother loses custody over her three daughters because she is living in Malaganda in a same-sex relationship with another woman. Judges from the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Africa will be asked to take the role of members of the African Commission on Human People's Rights and decide the case under international law. They also will be asked to describe how the underlying custody dispute would have been decided under the laws of their respective countries. Readings: Grace Ssali Summary of Facts and Potentially Relevant Laws Case of Atala Riffo and Daughters v. Chile [Inter-American Court of Human Rights] Case of Karen Atala and Daughters v Chile [Inter-American Commission on Human Rights]
10:15 am - 11:45 am	RESTORATIVE JUSTICE Judges from diverse jurisdictions will discuss ways in which this concept is being utilized in their courts. Readings: Restorative Justice Panel Presentation
12:45 pm - 2:15 pm	GLOBAL WOMEN'S ISSUES Featured Speakers: Melanne Verveer, Executive Director of the Georgetown University Institute for Women, Peace and Security, and former United States Ambassador-at-Large and for Global Women's Issues and Director of the Office of Global Women's Issues, and Kim Azzarelli, Chair, Cornell Law School Avon Center for Women and Justice.
2:45 pm - 4:15 pm	COURTS IN CRISIS: MAINTAINING THE RULE OF LAW IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS How do you maintain the Rule of Law in an emergency or crisis situation and during its aftermath, both immediate and long term? Do you have access to a plan for dealing with the immediate circumstances and a Continuity Of Operations Plan (C.O.O.P.)? Six experienced Judges from around the world will discuss their professional and personal experiences with natural and man-made disasters, lessons learned and advice for the future. Readings: Courts in Crisis Topics Summary PRESENTATION: Courts in Crisis Maintaining the Rule of Law in Emergency Situations PRESENTATION: Building a Healing Court after the Sewell Ferry Tragedy by Hae min Lee RESOURCES: Judicial Family Institute Emergency Preparedness
SUNDAY, MAY 29 2016
10:15 am - 11:30 am	WOMEN AND GIRLS IN DETENTION Featured Speaker Piper Kerman, author of Orange is the New Black, will discuss her experience as a woman in detention in the United States. A panel of judges from diverse jurisdictions will discuss the special problems that women and girls face when they are incarcerated and the things that are being done to ameliorate these conditions. Readings: Justice Poised Between Law and Force by Cesare Maccari