In This Issue:

• Laguna Beach Brings Out the Sunshine at March Mid-Year Leadership Conference
• Paulette Brown Honored with the Margaret Brent Award
• Reserve Your Room and Register Now for the Annual Conference in Newark, New Jersey, October 12 - 16, 2011
• DEADLINE April 8, ABA's Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division Seeks Nominations
• Watch for your 2011 Membership Directory
• Laguna Beach Brings Out the Sunshine at March Mid-Year Leadership Conference

Laguna Beach Brings Out the Sunshine at March Mid-Year Leadership Conference

For a midyear respite, NAWJ came out to the sunny shores of Laguna Beach to partake in a stunning combination of educational programs, the arts and natural beauty of this artistic venue. The entire board and all of the district directors were present as well as both of our immediate Past Presidents and one of our founding mothers, Justice Joan Dempsey Klein. The beachfront Surf and Sand Resort in Laguna Beach was the scene, showcasing the home county of our President Marjorie Laird Carter while bringing NAWJ to the local legal community. The Conference was chaired by Judge Carter and her co-chairs Judge (ret.) Donna Crandall and Judge Jamoa Moberly, District 14 Director. They were proudly assisted by local NAWJ Judges, John Adams, Elaine Streger and Kim Hubbard. The Friends Committee was chaired by past Presidents of the Orange County Lawyers and/ or Orange County Women Lawyers, Ashleigh Aitken, Michelle Reinglass and Solange Ritchie. The focus of the conference was team building while also presenting cutting edge topics involving immigrants, human trafficking and the contrast of Hollywood's portrayal of African Americans versus ten decades of US Supreme Court decisions. With the help of Mother Nature, the conference was a great success and provides great momentum for the upcoming Annual Conference in Newark.

For Early Arrivals, Mission San Juan Capistrano, whales and dolphins

Compliments of the host District 14 and Justice Klein, early arrivals to the Surf and Sand Resort were whisked away by luxury bus to tour Mission San Juan Capistrano of swallows fame and then on to spectacular Dana Point harbor. While too early for the swallows, there were whales and dolphins in the harbor. The evening was capped by a no-host jazz dinner at French 75 across the street from the resort.

Conference Opens to a Full House and a Tsunami Warning

With an early wake-up call to many on the West Coast, our conference started on schedule and with good fortune, no tsunami. On arrival the attendees were given a Laguna Beach beach bag courtesy of the Chamber of Commerce, distributed by our wonderful volunteers from Whittier Law School. Our first session was kicked off by a proud welcome from the Assistant Mayor of Laguna Beach, Jane Egly.

Removing Obstacles to Justice for Immigrants - the Relevance of Immigration Status for Criminal, Family, Juvenile and Civil Courts

Hon. Joan Churchill, Immigration Judge (ret.) and Projects Chair, moderated a distinguished panel discussion on the topic of immigration status and how it interfaces with criminal, family, juvenile and civil law - relevant topics for the full range of our membership. We were fortunate to have experts from across the country appear as panelists: Hon. Dana Leigh Marks, President, National Association of Immigration Judges, San Francisco; Dr. John A. Martin, Director, Center for Public Policy Studies, Immigration & the State Courts Initiative, Center for Public Policy Studies, Denver; Leslye E. Orloff, Esq., Vice President and Director, Immigrant Women Program, Legal Momentum, Washington D.C.; and Steve Weller, J.D., Ph.D., Senior Consultant, Center for Public Policy Studies, Immigration & the State Courts Initiative, Denver. After the introduction from our President, Marjorie Laird Carter, Dr. Martin spoke on the importance for all types of judges to understand immigration issues. Judge Marks and Steve Weller followed with a very succinct primer on immigration and the consequences of criminal convictions including temporary restraining orders for both victims and perpetrators. Leslye Orloff explained the intersection of immigration issues with violence against women, child custody and human trafficking. Most of us came away with the idea that this topic should be included in our local and state judicial training programs. NAWJ has applied for a grant to hopefully assist with that goal. The topic addressed by each speaker would have justified a separate session and the intersection of their subject areas reinforced the pervasive nature of these issues for most of us as immigration increases.

NAWJ Scholarship Awarded to Chapman University Law Student

At the luncheon for all attendees and sponsors, Judge Jamoa Moberly as District 14 Director and conference co-chair welcomed everyone and introduced President Marjorie Laird Carter. Judge Carter, a graduate of Chapman University, presented the NAWJ Scholarship to Whitney Stefko who is currently in her second year at Chapman's law school. Whitney is a member of the law school's Alternate Dispute Resolution Board and will be representing Chapman at an international mediation competition in London at the end of March. Outside of law school, Whitney spends every Sunday working with an autistic child and is passionate about raising awareness and acceptance of children with special needs.

Actress, Activist and Documentary Filmmaker Darryl Hannah Makes a Serious Splash on the Subject of Sex Trafficking

On a sunny patio overlooking the Pacific, actress Darryl Hannah showed just how far she has come from the days she portrayed a mermaid in Manhattan! Introduced by Judge (ret.) Donna Crandall, Judge (ret.) Judy Chirlin, "Judge Judy" as Darryl Hannah referred to her, conducted a candid conversation with Ms. Hannah on her personal experiences as an undercover filmmaker in Southeast Asia and as a naive young girl lured to Las Vegas. While she was fortunate to escape and fly home before anything happened to her, she feels compelled to help those not so fortunate or empowered. Filmed at great personal risk, she talked about her experiences filming her still unfinished documentary on the lives of women and girls trapped in the brothels of Southeast Asia. An environmental activist too, she spoke of her commitment to leaving a small footprint in all regards from her eco-friendly home to her bio-diesel car which she drove to our conference. Ms. Hannah has certainly come a long way from the scenes we all recall of her splashing around Manhattan as a mermaid character. Afterwards she generously spoke individually with many of our me mbers on the serious subject of trafficking.

Justice and award winning author, Eileen Moore on 'Race Results: Hollywood vs. the Supreme Court - Ten Decades of Racial Decisions and Film'

Justice Eileen Moore of the California Court of Appeal, sitting in Santa Ana, capped off the day with an afternoon at the movies in a way you have never experienced before. Justice Moore, a member of NAWJ, past recipient of the California Women Lawyers Joan Dempsey Klein Award and combat nurse in Vietnam, presented two hours of film clips beginning with the 1915 film Birth of a Nation illustrating the progression and contrast between the racial decisions of the United States Supreme Court and the portrayal of African Americans over the same ten decades. Her presentation is derived from her nationally award winning book which grew out of her thesis for her Masters degree awarded in 2004 from the University of Virginia-Charlottesville. Her initial premise had been that the often perceived conservative Court would be outpaced by liberal Hollywood, but, as shown by her contrast between the popular films of each decade with the Court's decisions, that was often the reverse. The Court for most decades has been more advanced in recognizing the advancements and achievements of African Americans. We certainly will never watch movies the same way!

District Directors Meeting and Board Meetings

Saturday was devoted to meetings of the board and the district directors. We were fortunate that the entire board and all the district directors were in attendance. Justice Klein joined us for the Districts meeting. Her vision and enthusiasm are contagious. She urges us to help NAWJ expand its mission in pursuit of what our members - current and prospective - are passionate about. As an outgrowth of much discussion it was decided that for the balance of 2011 the new member dues would be reduced as well as the registration for first time annual conference attendees. Every District is challenged to report at least one event planned for a date before the fall. The Color of Justice and the Speed Mentor programs are two which are flourishing in multiple districts. If you need help or inspiration, districts are urged to call on one another. At the full board meeting the exciting plans for the Newark conference were presented. More to come!

Trolleys and a Sunset Jazz Reception on the Beach Cliff Grounds of the Montage

What better way to cap off a wonderful meeting than a late afternoon trolley tour of Laguna Beach carrying all of the board and remaining attendees. After photo shoots above the surf, we all were taken by the trolleys down to south Laguna Beach to the "other" resort, The Montage. There we were greeted on our arrival by our NAWJ member and host, Judge John Adams of the Orange County Superior Court. He was also instrumental in arranging for the beach bags. Elizabeth Pearson, a member of the Laguna Beach City Council was also on hand to welcome us. We relaxed, watched the sunset from the elegant grass terrace above the surf serenaded by a great jazz saxophonist, and celebrated a very successful team building conference.

See you all in Newark!
Jamoa Moberly

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

Gold: $5,000
Skorheim & Associates, AAC
The Law Offices of Steven R. Young

Silver: $2,500 
Judge John S. Adams
Aitken*Aitken*Cohn
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear, LLP
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Newmeyer & Dillion, LLP

Bronze: $1,000
Law Offices of Marjorie G. Fuller
JAMS and Justice Sheila Prell Sonenshine (Ret.)
Judicate West
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
Minyard Morris LLP
ADR Office of Michelle A. Reinglass

Supporter:
Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara, LLP
John C. Hueston, Esq.
Keller Rackauckas LLP

Individual:
Holly J. Fujie, Esq., Buchalter Nemer
John C. Hueston, Esq.

2011 Margaret Brent Award Honors Goes to Newark Friends Committee Chair Paulette Brown

Paulette Brown, Friends Committee Chair for our 33rd Annual Conference taking place in Newark this October is a 2011 recipient of the Margaret Brent Award. Ms. Brown is a former Municipal Court Judge and now a partner at Edward Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP, the firm's Chief Diversity Officer, and a member of its Labor & Employment Practice Group. Her practice has focused on all facets of labor and employment and commercial litigation. She has successfully defended employers in cases involving discrimination on the basis of age, sex, marital status, sexual harassment, disability, race and national origin. Paulette has received successful results in class action employment discrimination cases based upon race. Paulette will be honored with the Margaret Brent Award at the ABA's 21st Annual Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Awards Luncheon Sunday, August 7th in Toronto, during the ABA's annual meeting.

Global Women's Issues
NAWJ's 33rd Annual Conference

October 12 - 16, 2011
Hilton Newark Penn Station Hotel
Newark, New Jersey

Reservations: (973) 622-5000
NAWJ Rate: $170/night, plus applicable taxes

Conference Chair
The Honorable Sue Pai Yang, Judge, New Jersey Workers' Compensation Court
Co-Chair
Associate Dean Frances Bouchoux, Rutgers School of Law, Newark

Download the Conference Agenda at a Glance here, and the Registration Form here.

Conference Highlights (subject to change)

Wednesday, October 12, 2011
2010-2011 Board Meeting
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

First time attendees meeting
Time: 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Welcome Reception at a place offsite TBD
Time: 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, October 13, 2011
Opening Session and Plenary
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Sponsors Luncheon at the Newark Club
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Guided Tours in New York City
Afternoon

Friday, October 14, 2011
NAWJ District Breakfast Meetings
Time: 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Promoting Global Equality for Women through the Law at the Rutgers School of Law, Newark
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

An all day symposium including four panel programs featuring academics, international judges, and human rights advocates discussing violence against women; human trafficking; deprivation of women's property rights; reproductive health issues; and related issues that are vital to promoting women's rights across the globe. We would ask the panelists to discuss what the law is/should be and the gaps between the law and enforcement in their respective jurisdictions. The goal would be to publish both the transcript of the symposium and scholarly articles.

Introduction

Panel 1: Ending Violence Against Women
This panel will discuss cultural aspects of violence against women and what legal mechanisms exist or should exist to eliminate such violence, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) and UN Resolutions 1325 and 1820.

Panel 2: Prevention of Human Trafficking
International trafficking in human beings has become one of the fastest growing crimes around the globe, impacting disproportionately on women and children. This panel will discuss UN protocol to prevent trafficking of humans and the ABA's human trafficking assessment tool and analyze how domestic laws in various countries can be improved to address this growing epidemic.

Luncheon and Keynote Address

Panel 3: Global Reproductive Health
According to the CDC, reproductive health is critical to improving the health of women, children, and families throughout the world. This panel will examine legal and cultural barriers to reproductive health in developing nations and among refugee populations and the role of law in improving reproductive health for all women.

Panel 4: Ensuring Economic Equality for Women in a Global Society
According to a recent report by Human Rights Watch, millions of women around the world who suffer deprivation of property rights "end up impoverished, struggling to meet their families' basic needs, living in decaying shacks in dangerous slums, and vulnerable to violence and disease." Studies show that gender equality promotes broad economic growth for society at large and, thus, breaking down gender barriers to educational access and job opportunities is essential to improving life for all. This panel will examine the discriminatory laws and practices that deprive women of their property rights and the role of legislators and the courts in reforming laws to protect women's economic rights around the globe.

EVENING RECEPTION
Location: U. S. District Courthouse
Host: Historical Society of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
Speaker: Professor Annette Gordon-Reed, former Professor at Rutgers University and now at Harvard University. Recipient of the 2010 MacArthur Fellowship aka "genius grant" and the 2010 National Humanities Medal presented by President Barack Obama. She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for History and 15 other prizes in 2009 for her publication, The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family.

Saturday, October 15, 2011
NAWJ Committee Breakfast Meetings
Time: 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

NAWJ Business Meeting
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Education Sessions at the Seton Hall University School of Law
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

NAWJ Investiture Luncheon
Time: 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.

2011-2012 Board Meeting
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Afternoon: Free time to sightsee.

Silent Auction and Banquet Gala
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, October 16, 2011
Closing Breakfast
Time: 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

ABA Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division

The bylaws of the America Bar Association's Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division provides for representation on its Council by nominees of ABA affiliated organizations (NAWJ is an affiliate organization.) Consider nominating an NAWJ member to stand for election to the Division's Council. The Council develops policy for the Division and works to achieve the Division's mission to serve as a national advocate for public lawyers. Click here to learn more, and to find the Nomination Form.

2011 Membership Directory

Have you received your 2011 Membership Directory? If you have not it should arrive any day now. It's a wonderful, handy publication where you can find information about NAWJ members all in one place. (Correction: This year's Directory incorrectly details information for Barbara Levenson and Brenda Levinson. They should appear:

Events

The International Association of Women Judges 2012 Bi-Annual Conference will take place May 2 - May 5 in London, United Kingdom.
NAWJ's 2012 Annual Conference will take place in Miami, Florida, November 7-11.
NAWJ's 2013 Annual Conference will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana

NAWJ

Mission Statement:

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.

About NAWJ:

Since its formation in 1979, NAWJ has inspired and lead the American judiciary in achieving fairness and equality for vulnerable populations. Led by two visionary women - Justice Joan Dempsey Klein and Justice Vaino Spencer - 100 brave and intrepid women judges met and formed an organization dedicated to the following ideals: ensuring equal justice and access to the courts for all including women, youth, the elderly, minorities, the underprivileged, and people with disabilities; providing judicial education on cutting-edge issues of importance; developing judicial leaders; increasing the number of women on the bench in order for the judiciary to more accurately reflect the role of women in a democratic society; and improving the administration of justice to provide gender-fair decisions for both male and female litigants.

From the day it was founded, NAWJ has been committed to diversity in our membership. Our organization welcomes both men and women. We include appellate, trial, tribal, administrative law judges, state and federal judges, and members from every state in the nation.

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 have greatly 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 also are respected as a leader in educating judges on bioethics, elderly abuse, the sentencing of women offenders with substance abuse problems; improving conditions for women in prison; and the problems facing immigrants in our court system. Currently we are developing curricula on the effect of genetic advances on women and vulnerable populations, the impact of international law on state and federal courts, and cognitively disabled persons in criminal courts.

In addition to addressing these and other important issues, NAWJ provides an opportunity for judges to meet and discuss professional issues of mutual concern in a supportive atmosphere. Connecting with others with the same values, we laugh, enjoy life and mentor one another nationwide.