July 2026 President's Letter

Who Is the Most Enduring Woman Judicial Trailblazer in Your State?

One of the greatest privileges of serving as President of NAWJ is standing on the shoulders of women who came before us—women who broke barriers, challenged conventions, and forever changed the judiciary.

As part of a project I am developing with the ABA Judicial Editorial Board, I am seeking to identify and tell the stories of the Most Enduring Woman Judicial Trailblazer in Each State.

This project is not simply about identifying the “first woman” to serve on a court. Not every first was transformational, and not every transformational leader was the first. Rather, I am searching for the woman judge whose courage, leadership, integrity, and influence changed the course of justice in her state and whose legacy continues to inspire today.

I have begun compiling a preliminary list. It is just that—a starting point for discussion. I invite you to agree, disagree, and help me discover stories I may have overlooked.

Preliminary List
Alabama – Janie L. Shores
Alaska – Dana Fabe
Arizona – Lorna Lockwood
Arkansas – Elsijane Trimble Roy
California – Rose Bird
Colorado – Jean Dubofsky
Connecticut – Ellen Ash Peters
Delaware – Carolyn Berger
Florida – Rosemary Barkett
Georgia – Leah Ward Sears
Hawaii – Rhoda Lewis
Idaho – Linda Copple Trout
Illinois – Mary Ann McMorrow
Indiana – Loretta Rush
Iowa – Marsha Ternus
Kansas – Kay McFarland
Kentucky – Sara Walter Combs
Louisiana – Bernette Joshua Johnson
Maine – Leigh Saufley
Maryland – Rita Davidson
Massachusetts – Margaret Marshall
Michigan – Mary S. Coleman
Minnesota – Rosalie Wahl
Mississippi – Lenore Prather
Missouri – Ann Covington 
Montana – Karla Gray
Nebraska – Lindsey Miller-Lerman
Nevada – Miriam Shearing
New Hampshire – Linda Dalianis
New Jersey – Marie Garibaldi
New Mexico – Petra Jimenez Maes
New York – Judith S. Kaye
North Carolina – Susie Sharp
North Dakota – Beryl Levine
Ohio – Maureen O’Connor
Oklahoma – Alma Wilson
Oregon – Betty Roberts
Pennsylvania – Sandra Schultz Newman
Rhode Island – Florence K. Murray
South Carolina – Jean Hoefer Toal
South Dakota – Judith Meierhenry
Tennessee – Martha Craig Daughtrey
Texas – Ruby Kless Sondock
Utah – Christine Durham
Vermont – Denise Johnson
Virginia – Elizabeth B. Lacy
Washington – Barbara Durham
West Virginia – Margaret Workman
Wisconsin – Shirley Abrahamson
Wyoming – Marilyn Kite 

Now I need your help.

Did you appear before her? Serve alongside her? Clerk for her? Did she mentor you, challenge you, or inspire you? Is there another woman judge in your state whose impact has been even more profound?

Please email me your stories, reflections, photographs, articles, or suggestions. I am especially interested in the personal moments—the lessons learned in chambers, the words of wisdom shared over coffee, the quiet acts of courage that never made the headlines but changed lives nonetheless.

The history of women in the judiciary is not merely a collection of dates and firsts. It is the story of women who dared to lead, who opened doors for others, and who left the judiciary stronger than they found it.

Together, let’s make sure their stories are not only remembered—but celebrated.

The Honorable Pamela Scott Washington
President, National Association of Women Judges