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.

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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.