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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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Greetings NAWJ Members and Friends!
Spring weather has finally arrived in Washington, D.C. and the famous Cherry Blossom trees are in full bloom!
Once again, thank you to all of you who were able to attend and participate in our Midyear Meeting and Leadership
Conference in Washington, D.C. from March 13th-15th! Our conference focused on our theme for the year: "Ensuring
Access to Justice for All." We had substantive and engaging plenary sessions on the importance of civil legal aid
for unrepresented litigants, labor trafficking (a form of human trafficking) and perspectives on the Affordable
Care Act. Additionally, we met with the leaders of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues, and heard from
three dynamic women who head key federal regulatory agencies. Attorney General Eric Holder, our Friday, keynote
luncheon speaker spoke about Access to Justice Initiatives at the U.S. Department of Justice.
 Finally, we were
hosted at the U.S. Supreme Court by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for a production of Janet Langhart Cohen's play
"Anne & Emmett", a moving and compelling story of Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl killed during the Holocaust and
Emmett Till, an African-American boy killed in the South during the Jim Crow era.
Other March Events -
- The Georgetown University Law School Journal of Legal Ethics, hosted a Symposium on "Race and Access to
the Justice System" where I participated as a panelist representing NAWJ on March 18, 2014. My article will
appear in the September issue of the Journal.
- The National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) Midyear conference was held in Washington, D.C. on March
20, 2014, I participated on a panel of five women for different legal disciplines. I also represented NAWJ on
a panel entitled "Power: How to Get it And How to Use It."
- I participated in a White House Forum on "Increasing Access to Justice," which was held on April 8, 2014.
The forum included legal service providers, private sector lawyers, government agencies and others.
- The Informed Voter Project is partnering with the ABA for Law Day programs! Please see the links in this
monthly update!
- Please register and plan to attend the NAWJ Annual Conference in San Diego in October 2014! The Planning
Committee chaired by Judge Tamila Ipema and Judge Margie Wood. The committee is planning an exciting
conference! Early registration has been extended.
- Safe travels to all of our NAWJ members attending the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ)
Conference from May 4th-May 8th in Arusha, Tanzania!
Warmly,
Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby
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NAWJ Presents Memorable and Informative Midyear Meeting and Leadership
Conference, Attorney General Eric Holder, Jr., Anne & Emmett Playlet, Panels on
Federal Regulations and Human Trafficking Impresses the 330 Attendees
(Click here to view photos.)
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Over 330 judges, attorneys, government officials and legal professionals joined together for NAWJ's Midyear
Meeting and Leadership Conference Ensuring Access to Justice. Click
here to view the conference program.
Click here to view select photos.
The Conference presented many highlights, one of which was the Keynote Luncheon featuring U.S. Attorney
General Eric Holder, Jr., who acknowledged the contribution of women to spreading freedom, and shared key
moments of his years at the Department of Justice. Click
here
to read his remarks.
The Luncheon also was an opportunity to thank our many sponsors whose contributions made this year's
Midyear possible: Underwriter - LexisNexis; Platinum - GEICO, Pfizer Inc.;
Gold - CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, FedEx, Loeb & Loeb LLP, Pepco Holdings LLC;
Silver - AbbVie Inc., Bancroft PLLC, Regina & Charles Cheever, ExxonMobil,
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Paul Hastings LLP, Latham & Watkins,
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright, Saul Ewing LLP, White & Case LLP,
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP; Bronze - Andrews Kurth LLP, Archer & Greiner P.C.,
Balch & Bingham LLP, Beveridge & Diamond, P.C., Chadbourne & Parke LLP, Cooper Levenson April Niedelman & Wagenheim, P.A.,
Covington & Burling LLP, Dickstein Shapiro LLP, Holland & Knight, Hunton & Williams LLP, McGuireWoods LLP,
Merrill Corporation, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Thomson Reuters, Walmart;
Supporters - Kent Amos, Tracy Colden, CourtCall, LLC, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC,
Freeman & Freeman, PC, Gordon & Rees LLP, Holland & Knight, Hollingsworth LLP, Husch Blackwell LLP,
JAMS - The Resolution Experts, Keller and Heckman LLP, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Lauren Leeker, Esq.,
Littler Mendelson P.C., Jack H. Olender & Associates, P.C., Reed Smith LLP, Sedgwick LLP,
Shawe & Rosenthal LLP, Steptoe & Johnson LLP; In-Kind - JWPT Holdings, LLC,
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Sodexo, Venable LLP, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
This year's Midyear Conference provided an opportunity to include NAWJ's annual meeting with the
Congressional Women's Caucus during the Midyear's span. Welcomed by Caucus Co-Chair Donna Edwards,
congressional Representative for Maryland, the Meeting drew visits from additional Caucus members
including Massachusetts' Katherine Clark, California's Lois Capps, Illinois's Jan Schakowsky and
Oregon's Suzanne Bonamici.
Another of the many conference highlights was the presentation of Janet Langhart Cohen's play
"Anne & Emmett," which touched and moved all in attendance, particularly Supreme Court Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The play was performed in the East Conference Room at the U.S. Supreme Court
and the spirit amongst the NAWJ conference entourage drew Supreme Court Justices John Roberts and
Sonia Sotomayor from their nearby offices to visit upon attendees.
The 2014 Midyear Conference packed a powerful punch in its three days. Enough to last a lifetime.
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NAWJ President Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigby
Participates on Georgetown Law's Panel on
Race and Access to the Justice System
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Just days after presiding over NAWJ's memorable 2014 Midyear Meeting and Leadership Conference,
Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby participated on the 'Civil Law Ethics & Race' panel presented by the
Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics during its biennial Symposium. Additional panelists included
Steven H. Schulman, Adjunct Professor, Georgetown Law; James J. Sandman, President, Legal Services
Corporation; Ellen Yaroshefsky, Clinical Professor of Law, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; and
panel moderator Michael Frisch, Ethics Counsel and Adjunct Professor, Georgetown Law.
Click here
to view the panel.
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NAWJ President Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigby
Participates on Georgetown Law's Panel on
Race and Access to the Justice System
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ABA Law Day
is on May 2nd, and this year's theme, "American Democracy and the Rule of Law: Why Every Vote Matters," fits right in with
NAWJ's Informed Voters Project message to promote fairness and impartiality of courts. This year NAWJ is partnering with the
ABA to get the word out. Click
here to view full list of Law Day resource partners.
 Help us take advantage of this win-win opportunity to maximize the reach of our
Informed Voters Project. Please reach out to leaders in your local and state legal communities.
Make sure they are aware of the great educational tools that are available for their use at Law Day Events.
There are lots of possibilities - here are a few suggestions you could share:
- The bar association can show the PSA video "Fair and Free;"
- Some of the association's attorneys can appear on TV or Radio in connection with Law Day and
have the station play the radio or video piece.
- The bar association can publish the IVP ads in their electronic newsletters or in local newspapers or newsletters.
All materials are available for download at ivp.nawj.org. To make it even easier,
just pass on this article with links below for the full length video,
an audio PSA, and a
handout highlighting
what voters need to know to cast an informed vote in judicial races:
Fair and Free Video
Radio PSA
What Voters Need to Know
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NAWJ 36th Annual Conference
Protecting and Advancing Meaningful Access to Justice
October 15-19, 2014 • San Diego, CA
The Westin Gaslamp Quarter
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CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS
Hon. Tamila E. Ipema • Hon. Margie G. Woods
Keynote Speaker:
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor
(Justice Sonia Sotomayor will speak at the Banquet Gala on Saturday night
and on a panel at the Farewell Brunch on Sunday morning.)
Click here to review the Schedule of Events here.
Earlybird Registration Extended
Register online
here, or download and fax
this registration form.
Conference registration fees:
$595 for NAWJ Members ($550 before April 18)
$525 for Members who are First-Time Attendees
$695 for Non-Members Judges
$575 Guest Rate
Room Reservations: Click
here
or call (619) 239-2200.
NAWJ Rate: $219/night, plus applicable taxes, single or double occupancy
For more information contact:
Conference Chairs: Judge Tamila E. Ipema by email Tamila.Ipema@sdcourt.ca.gov
Judge Margie G. Woods by email Margie.Woods@sdcourt.ca.gov
Conference Manager: Mary Kathleen Todd by email mtodd@nawj.org.
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IAWJ's 2016 Biennial Conference Planning Committee Chairs
Hon. Jane Spencer Craney and Hon. Carolyn Engel Temin
Seek Volunteers to Serve on Planning Committee
IAWJ 2016 Biennial Conference
Washington, D.C. May 26-29, 2016
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Last month, NAWJ's 'IAWJ Biennial Selection Committee' announced the appointment of Judge
Jane Spencer Craney (Morgan Superior Court, Indiana), and Senior Judge Carolyn Engel Temin
(Court of Common Pleas, Pennsylvania, Retired) as Co-Chairs of IAWJ's 2016 Biennial Conference Planning Committee.
The conference will take place in Washington, D.C from May 26-29, 2016.
Anyone wishing to serve on the IAWJ Biennial Planning Committee may contact Marie Komisar
at mkomisar@nawj.org. The Committee will work
closely with the Biennial Advisory Council and NAWJ Executive Director Marie Komisar.
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NAWJ Past President Hon. Carolyn Temin
Recognized by the University of Pennsylvania Law School
with a Portrait Unveiling
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The University of Pennsylvania Law School and the Kilgore Society will together honor one of its alumnae,
the Hon. Carolyn E. Temin FA'55 L'58, at a wine and cheese reception and ceremony acknowledging her
contributions to the justice system and to the profession. Judge Temin's portrait will be formally
unveiled at this event.
Judge Temin served as a Judge for the Court of Common Pleas for the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania
for nearly 30 years, and continues to serve as an International Judicial Consultant. She's been a
trailblazing leader among women lawyers and judges throughout her career, and she's been involved
with the Kilgore Society and related activities since its founding, most recently speaking on our
inaugural Kilgore CLE panel during Penn Law's Reunion Weekend in 2013.
Judge Temin was NAWJ's President for the 2003-2004 year. She is co-chair of the Planning Committee for
the IAWJ-NAWJ 2016 Biennial Conference to be held in Washington, D.C. from May 26-29.
Contact Dori Pavel (dpavel@law.upenn.edu) with any questions or to RSVP.
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NAWJ Past President Hon. Gladys Kessler
Recognized by the National Association of Women Lawyers
with its Leadership Award
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The National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) proudly awarded Senior Judge Gladys Kessler
of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia its Leadership Award during the Awards
Luncheon at the Midyear Meeting in Washington, D.C. on March 20, 2014. The Award is presented
to a woman whose personal contributions have made a direct and significant impact on the advancement
of women lawyers and who has promoted diversity in the legal profession.
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Remembering Hon. Dora Prestup Rothschild
First Woman Compensation Judge for the New Jersey
State Division of Workmen's Compensation
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Thanks to Wendy Deer at the Essex County Bar Association for reminding us that NAWJ member
Hon. Dora Prestup Rothschild, the first woman compensation judge for the New Jersey State
Division of Workmen's Compensation, passed away on July 22, 2013 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
She was 106. Judge Rothschild was born in New York City and educated in the Newark public schools.
She graduated from the old New Jersey Law School, now Rutgers. Judge Rothschild was admitted to the
New Jersey Bar in 1929. She practiced law with her husband, Philip B. Rothschild, starting in
1931 at 744 Broad Street. Prior to being appointed to the bench by then Governor Richard Hughes,
she was an attorney for The State Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. She was a former member
of the executive board of the Newark Branch of the NAACP and counsel to the then Essex County
Democratic Women. She was a member of the Essex County Bar Association and the National Association of
Women Judges. She is survived by her son, Dr. William S. Rothschild, of Santa Fe, N.M.; her grandchildren,
Andrew Rothschild of West Palm Beach, Fla.; Gary Rothschild of Pelham, N.Y., and Phyllis Golnik of
Carlisle, Mass., and seven great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Philip B. Rothschild,
and daughter-in-law, Lois Rothschild. See more at:
http://obits.nj.com/obituaries/starledger/obituary.aspx?pid=166013148#sthash.kQWy7we9.dpuf
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Economics Institute for Judges
George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, Virginia
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A handful of spaces are still available in each of the George Mason University Law School's the Law and
Economics Center 2014 offerings of the Economics Institute for Judges.
The 2014 program dates are as follows: May 4-9, 2014; September 7-12, 2014; and October 12-17, 2014.
To date, almost 4,000 sitting federal and state court judges representing all 50 states have attended
a LEC judicial education program. In just the last academic year, 483 judges participated.
Registration and program information may be found here.
The Law and Economics Center (LEC) at George Mason University School of Law is a national center for
research and education that focuses on the timely and relevant economic analysis of legal and public
policy issues confronting our nation. Since its inception in 1974, the Law & Economics Center has played
a critical role as a leader in law and economics research and education. With research divisions devoted
to large-scale empirical projects and top-quality legal policy analysis, and educational arms reaching
out to judges, attorneys general, and other policymakers, the LEC is uniquely equipped to positively
impact national policy and outcomes.
Please do not hesitate to contact Karen M. Czarnecki with any questions. She can be reached by e-mail at
kczarnec@gmu.edu or by phone at 703.993.8388.
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American Bar Association's Office of Diversity and Inclusion
to host Legal Career Development Expo
May 14, 2014 in Washington D.C.
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The American Bar Association's Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) will host the first ABA Legal
Career Development Expo on May 14, 2014, in the ABA's Washington D.C. office located at 1050
Connecticut Ave., N.W. in the John Marshall Conference Center, 5th floor.
The Expo is designed to reach out to diverse law students and young and provide them information on
ABA services that assist in career development. Attendees will participate in informative workshops;
have access to personal one-on-one sessions with career development experts; interact with accomplished,
seasoned attorneys; learn how to leverage bar membership to maximize careers, and gain invaluable
job search skills from experts.
For more information and the on-line registration form for the Expo, please visit
www.ambar.org/diversity.
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Events
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2014
The 2014 International Association of
Women Judges Bi-Annual Conference will take place May 5-9, 2014 in Arusha, Tanzania.
Click here for more conference details.
NAWJ 36th Annual Conference will take place October 15-19, 2014 at
Westin Gaslamp Quarter
in San Diego, California.
2015
NAWJ will hold its 37th Annual Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah from October 8-11, 2015.
2016
The International Association of Women Judges Biennial will be hosted in the United States by the National
Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) in Washington D.C. from May 26-29, 2016.
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