http://www.nawj.org/files/monthly_update/december_2012.html

In This Issue:
The President's Message
Newly Elected NAWJ President Honorable Joan V. Churchill Installation Remarks
Miami Welcomes the NAWJ Community for its 34th Annual Conference
BOOK DRIVE: View NAWJ's Wish List at Amazon.com and Support Florida's Women in Prison
NAWJ Announces 2012-2013 NAWJ Board of Directors
NAWJ Adopts Resolution Urging Expeditious Filling of Federal Judicial Vacancies
NAWJ Congratulates Fellow Member Ellen Rosenblum on Recent Election
Join Fellow Members Who Share Your Interests - Sign Up Now for 2013 NAWJ Committees
Final Call for Updates to Your Member Record in the 2013 NAWJ Membership Directory
2013 Midyear Meeting and Leadership Conference, May 2-4, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
SAVE THE DATE: 2013 Annual Conference, October 9-13, 2013, Ritz Carlton, New Orleans, LA
NAWJ Upcoming Events
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear NAWJ Members,
It was great to see so many of you in Miami Beach. Thank You for coming. Kudos to Judges Lisa Walsh and Myriam Lehr and their team for putting on a stupendous conference in a fabulous location!! For those of you who were unable to attend, my installation remarks are copied below.
My first 3 weeks as your President have been a whirlwind.
On November 15, I had the honor to represent NAWJ at the 2012 ceremony for the National Center for State Courts Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence, presented this year by Chief Justice John Roberts to a judge in his home state of Indiana, Judge John Surbeck. Judge Surbeck was recognized for his pioneering work setting up the Allen County Reentry Court.
Last week we held a wonderful kickoff reception for the 2013 Washington, D.C. Midyear Leadership Conference in conjunction with District 4's post conference fall meeting. The firm of McDermott Will & Emery hosted the reception in their spectacular new space overlooking the U.S. Capitol. Our Midyear Leadership Conference will be May 2-4, 2013 in DC. Be sure to mark your calendars to attend.
Our exciting plans include a:
Congressional Day on Thursday, topped off with a joint program with the Shakespeare Theatre's Bard Association on Shakespeare and the Law, and a reception at Fulbright Jaworski L.L.P.
Supreme Court Day on Friday, with a private tour of the Court, a forum on judicial independence issues for special courts as compared with general courts moderated by constitutional scholar and Harvard Law School Professor Vicki Jackson and a reception at the court at which Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will greet us.
Training Day on Human Trafficking on Saturday, with an eminent faculty.
Registration for the 2013 Midyear is now open. Click here to download the registration form.

REMARKS OF INCOMING NAWJ PRESIDENT -- JOAN V. CHURCHILL
November 10, 2012
National Association of Women Judges' 34th Annual Conference
Wow, this is exciting!!
What an honor and privilege it is for me to take the helm of The National Association of Women Judges. I am deeply moved by your trust and confidence. At the outset, I want to give special recognition and thanks to Judges Norma Shapiro, Linda Murnane, Sandra Robinson and Sue Yang for your enthusiasm and support.
I want to take a few minutes to share my vision for the coming year. But first I want to give a hearty thanks to Judges Lisa Walsh and Myriam Lehr, our Conference Co-Chairs and their entire Conference Planning Committee, the Friends Committee, and all who were involved with planning and executing such a spectacular annual meeting for us. Lisa, I remember back when you were a new District Director and I was VP for Districts, and you suggested a District Conference in Miami, and I said, how about making it an annual? And you did it!! What a wonderful conference you have pulled together, just over the top. And you are still smiling! Would the Miami conference planners all please stand. Let's give another round of applause for our super hero hosts in Miami.
This has been a wonderful year for NAWJ. I thank my predecessor Judge Amy Nechtem for positioning NAWJ in such a good place for launching the next year. The past presidents of NAWJ are all amazing women. I follow in your footsteps in awe.
NAWJ is such a special organization. I feel very passionate about it. NAWJ stands as a conscience and a challenge for something enduring: the importance of judicial diversity, inclusiveness and equal access to Justice for All. Sometimes the question is asked – we've all heard it: "Why is a woman's organization needed? Hasn't the issue been solved?" The importance of what we stand for: diversity, inclusiveness and equal access is not an issue that can be solved out of existence. It requires constant nurture. The role of NAWJ is an enduring one, an ongoing challenge to society to ensure that equal access to justice is maintained, and that our judicial system is the best that it can be.
Let me just say that I consider our name, National Association of Women Judges, to be something of a misnomer. We are not a woman's organization in the usual sense. We are not just for women, or even just for gender diversity. We are for equal access to and justice for ALL. I have chosen "Justice for All" as my theme for the year.
The theme "Justice for All" embodies what we are all about. From our focus on the barriers to justice for immigrants, language issues in the court system, women in prison, juveniles in detention, juvenile justice, victims of domestic violence, victims of human trafficking, outreach to the economically disadvantaged to pursue legal careers, and outreach to foreign judges from countries suffering violence, poverty or oppressive regimes, our programs demonstrate our commitment to a fairer, truer system of justice.
Some of my specific objectives for the coming year include:
Increasing our membership, especially among male judges and Tribal Judges;
Strengthening our ties with IAWJ, our international affiliate, in support of its work with judges all around the world;
Pursuing an enhanced focus on prevention of human trafficking, a modern day form of slavery;
Presentation of NAWJ programs in every District; and
Updating and enhancing our website with resources of benefit to our members.
These goals will be accomplished by the work of our Districts and Committees. There are signup sheets in the hallway by the registration desk for those of you who would like to work on a committee or committees. And let me invite you all to the 2013 Midyear, which will be in Washington, D.C. May 2-4. Mark your calendars. All are invited.
Make no mistake -- NAWJ faces ongoing challenges, not only to our relevance as previously mentioned, but in regard to our membership and our finances. I know that all of you here share my passion for NAWJ. I look to you to work with me on meeting these challenges. The out-pouring of support that I received encouraging me to take on the Presidency, and the offers of help and support that I've already received for the coming year are just fantastic. They give me the courage to meet our internal challenges, so that, ultimately, NAWJ remains as the challenger to the outside, challenging society to be the best it can.
As we make the transition to a new year, let us recharge our batteries to go forward with renewed energy and passion to promote diversity, equal access to justice and justice for all.
Thank You. I love you All.
Joan V. Churchill
Hundreds Attend "Meet Me in Miami" Conference to Examine National and International Legal, Economic, Social and Health Issues

(Click the section title to view photos from the following conference activities: Mentor/Mentee Meeting for First-Time Attendees and International Judges; Welcome Reception at the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Federal Courthouse; Opening Ceremonies, Plenary and Luncheon; Noche de Salsa; Friends Luncheon; Business Meeting; Awards Banquet and Panel Programs.)
After two years of planning and leadership, 2012 Annual Conference Co-Chairs Hon. Lisa S. Walsh and Hon. Myriam Lehr, both judges in Florida's Eleventh Judicial Circuit, successfully gathered judges, attorneys, legislators, physicians, authors and educators to explore national and international legal, economic, social and health issues at the "Meet Me in Miami" conference in Miami, Florida, November 7-11, 2012. The conference was held at the Eden Roc Renaissance Hotel and attracted over 500 persons, 40 of whom were international judges from 27 different countries.
The beautiful coastal shoreline, within view and just a few steps away from the conference's host hotel, was no match for the energy and enthusiasm of NAWJ's increasingly infectious annual get together at venues including the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr., Courthouse for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the inviting residence of U.S. Appeals Court Judge Rosemary Barkett and, for some, the Homestead Correctional Institution in nearby Florida City.
The Annual Business Meeting saw the swearing-in and recognition of old and new NAWJ leadership (see 2012-2013 Board of Directors listing further in this Update) and the adoption of a resolution, Urging Expeditious Filling of Federal Judicial Vacancies, the text of which appears in this Update.
This year's Awards Banquet recognized the accomplishments of longtime NAWJ members and friends. The 2012 Joan Dempsey Klein NAWJ Honoree of the Year Award was presented to NAWJ Past President Hon. Fernande R.V. Duffly. The 2012 Florence K. Murray Award honored attorney Roberta Liebenberg, Esq., who also co-chaired NAWJ's 2007 Annual Conference Friends Committee. The 2012 Justice Vaino Spencer Leadership Award recognized NAWJ Past President Hon. Dana Fabe. The 2012 Mattie Belle Davis Award was presented to Hon. Sandra Robinson, a former District 3 Director.
The myriad of inviting activities would not have been possible without the additional energy and dedication of the Conference Planning Committee including: Education Committee members Judge Laurel Isicoff, Judge Cindy Lederman, Judge Rosemary Barkett, Professor Donna Coker, Judge Jeri Beth Cohen, Edward H. Davis, Jr., Chief Justice Dana Fabe, Judge Ellen Leesfield, Judge Chris McAliley, Judge Kathleen Mulligan, Professor Amy Ronner, Judge Mary Schroeder and Professor Tara Twomey; Finance Committee members Judge Gladys Perez and Maureen Jaeger Walsh; Speakers Committee members Judge Gladys Perez and Laura Morilla; International Judges Committee members Judge Mercedes Bach, Judge Judy Chirlin (Retired), Judge Rosemary Barkett, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, Judge Beverly Cutler (Retired), Judge Beverly Sherman Nash, Judge Gladys Perez, Judge Geraldine Sparrow and Judge Carolyn Temin; Social Events Committee members Judge Nushin Sayfie, Judge Lourdes Simon and Amy Rosenberg; Volunteers Committee members Judge Marcia Caballero and Judge Andrea Wolfson; Mentor-Mentee Committee member Judge Monica Gordo; Reception Host Committee members Judge Joan A. Lenard, Assistant Dean Georgina Angones, Associate Dean Raquel Matas, Jacqueline Becerra, Judge Marcia Caballero, Judge Barbara Lagoa, Bruce Lehr and LillyAnn Sanchez; Security Committee members Judge Spencer Multack and Judge Rodolfo "Rudy" Ruiz; Excursions Committee members Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez and Judge Valerie Manno Schurr; Women in Prison Committee member Judge Simone Marstiller.
Friends Committee Law Firm Partners Chairs Elizabeth Hernandez, Esq. of Akerman Senterfitt, Linda M. Leali, Esq. of White & Case LLP and Detra P. Shaw-Wilder, Esq. of Koyzak Tropin & Throckmorton, and Corporate Partners Good Government Alliance Chair Mikki Canton of AsiaAmericana International LLC exhibited fundraising talents which matched the vision of the conference chairs. The Committee raised over $200,000 from approximately 50 law firms, corporations, universities and individual contributors to support conference activities. View the list of 2012 Annual Conference sponsors and supporters here.
In addition, we acknowledge and greatly appreciate the many volunteers and exceptional guest speakers who joined in making the experience in Miami another NAWJ original.
BOOK DRIVE
Contribute to NAWJ's Amazon Wish List
for Florida's Women in Prison
It's the giving season. Support this Women in Prison Committee initiative formed in conjunction with the 2012 Annual Conference to benefit the library at the Homestead Correctional Institution women's prison in South Florida. The book drive will continue through the end of the year to give every NAWJ member a chance to participate. Our goal is to give the facility every book on its wish list. Please take a moment and join this effort.
Or, go to Amazon.com and find NAWJ in its Wish List registry and choose Florida Women in Prison - Homestead Correctional Institution.
NAWJ ANNOUNCES ITS
2012-2013 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President
Hon. Joan V. Churchill
Immigration Court (Retired)
Chevy Chase, MD
President-Elect
Hon. Anna Blackburne-Rigsby 
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Washington, D.C.
Vice President, Publications
Hon. Tanya R. Kennedy
New York State Supreme Court
New York, NY
Vice President, Districts
Hon. Ariane Vuono
Massachusetts Appeals Court 
Boston, MA
Treasurer
Hon. Lisa S. Walsh
Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida
Miami, FL    Secretary
Hon. Julie E. Frantz
Multnomah County Circuit Court
Portland, OR
Immediate Past President
Hon. Amy L. Nechtem
Massachusetts Juvenile Court
Boston, MA
Finance Committee Chair
Hon. Susan Criss
212th District Court of Galveston County
Galveston, TX
Projects Committee Chair
Hon. Sue Pai Yang
New Jersey Workers Compensation Court (Retired)
Bridgewater, NJ
DISTRICT DIRECTORS
District 1 (ME, MA, NH, PR, RI)
Hon. MaryLou Muirhead
Boston Housing 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. Sheila Woods-Skipper
Court of Common Pleas, 1st Judicial District
Philadelphia, PA
District 4 (DC, MD, VA)
Hon. Claudia Barber
D.C. Office of Administrative Hearings
Washington, D.C.
District 5 (FL, GA, NC, SC)
Hon. Simone Marstiller
First District Court of Appeal
Tallahassee, FL
District 6 (AL, LA, MS, TN)
Hon. Mary Hotard Becnel
40th Judicial District Court
Edgard, LA
District 7 (MI, OH, WV)
Hon. Margaret A. Clark
Brown County Probate/Juvenile Court
Georgetown, OH    District 8 (IL, IN, KY)
Hon. Ann Breen-Greco
Illinois State Board of Education
Chicago, IL
District 9 (IA, MO, WI)
Hon. Karen A. Romano
Iowa District Court
Des Moines, LA
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 A. Scott Timmer
Arizona Supreme Court
Phoenix, AZ
District 13 (AK, HI, ID, MT, WA, OR)
Hon. Catherine Easter
Anchorage Superior Court
Anchorage, AK
District 14 (CA, NV)
Hon. Diana Becton
Contra Costa County Superior Court
Martinez, CA
SPECIAL DIRECTORS
International Director
Hon. Ann Walsh Bradley
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Madison, Wisconsin    ABA Delegate-Elect
Hon. Norma Shapiro
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

NAWJ Adopts Resolution
Urging Expeditious Filling of Federal Judicial Vacancies
At the Business Meeting held on November 10, 2012 during the Miami Annual Conference, the Resolutions Chair Hon. Sandra Robinson presented a resolution proposed by Lynn Hecht Shafran urging the expeditious filling of federal judicial vacancies. Subsequent to the conference, NAWJ President Joan V. Churchill wrote President Barack Obama, the Senate Leadership and Members of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Senate Judiciary Committees, enclosing the resolution and urging prompt action.
RESOLUTION
Urging Expeditious Filling of Federal Judicial Vacancies
WHEREAS President Barack Obama is about to embark on his second term as President of the United States; and
WHEREAS one of a President's most important responsibilities is the selection and nomination of judges to all federal courts; and
WHEREAS it is the responsibility of the Senate to act on the nominations sent to it by the President; and
WHEREAS it is a mission of the National Association of Women Judges to promote a diverse judiciary; and
WHEREAS there are currently numerous vacancies on Federal courts; and
WHEREAS two-thirds of Americans now live in a state where there is a Federal judicial emergency, resulting in a major backlog of cases;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Association of Women Judges urges President Obama to make it a priority for his administration to focus on Federal judicial selection and urges the Senate to work with the President to expeditiously fill the existing vacancies and fill future vacancies promptly as they arise.

NAWJ Congratulates Fellow Member Ellen Rosenblum on Recent Election
Congratulations to 2008 NAWJ Annual Conference Chair Ellen Rosenblum on her recent election as Oregon Attorney General. We wish her all the best in her new position.
Sign Up Now for 2012-2013 NAWJ Committees
All NAWJ members, regardless of membership category, are encouraged to participate in NAWJ Committees for the upcoming 2012-2013 year. Even if you were a committee member last year, you should reaffirm your continuing participation to ensure you are included in the 2013 Membership Directory listings. Please email Lavinia Cousin your list of NAWJ Committee choices for the 2012-2013 year at lcousin@nawj.org. A complete list of NAWJ Committees is listed below:
Administrative Judiciary Committee
Amicus Committee
Audit & Compliance
Awards Committee
Bylaws Committee
Conference Site Selection Committee
Domestic Violence Committee
Ethics Committee
Fairness and Access Committee
Federal Judges Committee
Finance Committee
Human Trafficking Committee
IAWJ 2016 Biennial Proposal Special Committee
International Outreach Committee
International Courts Subcommittee
Judicial Exchanges/Visits Subcommittee
International Parental Abduction Liaison Network Committee
Judicial Academic Network/ Judicial Education Committee
Judicial Independence Committee
Judicial Selection Committee
Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Committee
Media and Public Relations Committee
Membership Outreach and Retention Committee
Data Review Subcommittee
Tribal Judges Outreach Subcommittee
Military Courts Committee
New Judges Committee
Nominations Committee
Personnel Committee
Projects Committee
Resolutions Committee
Retired/Senior Judges Committee
Rural Courts Committee
Web Site Improvements Special Task Force
Women in Prison Committee
Last Call to Update Your
2013 Membership Directory Listing
You should have already received an email from NAWJ with your current member title, placement and contact information. If you have any new information, let us know by emailing your updates to Lavinia Cousin at lcousin@nawj.org or calling NAWJ at 202-393-0222.
2013 Midyear Meeting and Leadership Conference
including the Joint Annual Meeting with the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues
May 2-4, 2013
NAWJ's 2013 Midyear Meeting and Leadership Conference will be held May 2-4, 2013 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with the annual joint meeting between NAWJ and the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues. Highlights planned include a forum at the U.S. Supreme Court examining judicial independence issues faced by special courts as compared with general courts, preceded by a private, behind the scenes tour of the Supreme Court and followed by a reception hosted by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; a meeting with members of Congress; a reception hosted by the law firm Fulbright Jaworski L.L.P. and a joint program with The Shakespeare Theatre on Shakespeare and the Law. The NAWJ Board of Directors will meet on the morning of Friday, May 3, 2013. On Saturday, May 4, an eminent faculty will present an all-day training program on human trafficking. Registration is now open.
Registration and hotel reservation information may be found in the Conference Registration form, click here.
Events
2013
IAWJ Regional Conference: Latin America and Caribbean Region will take place from March 14-15, 2013 in Iguazu, Misiones, Argentina. All NAWJ members are members of IAWJ and are invited to attend IAWJ conferences. Contact IAWJ at 202-223-4455 for more details on their conference.
NAWJ District 4 will present "So You Think You Want to Write a Book" on March 28, 2013 at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Free and open to all NAWJ members. Call Lavinia Cousin at 202-393-0222 for more information.
NAWJ Midyear Meeting and Leadership Conference will take place May 2-4, 2013 in Washington, D.C. The host hotel is the Washington Court Hotel.
IAWJ Regional Conference: Asia/Pacific Region will place May 9-12, 2013 in Auckland, New Zealand. Click here for more details on the conference.
NAWJ 35th Annual Conference will take place October 9-13, 2013 at The Ritz Carlton in New Orleans, Louisiana.
2014
The International Association of Women Judges Bi-Annual Conference will take place May 6-9, 2014 in Tanzania.
NAWJ 36th Annual Conference will take place October 15-19, 2014 at Westin Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego, California.