NAWJ RENEWS ITS SPIRIT AT THE 2020 MIDYEAR MEETING IN NEW ORLEANS
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(L-R: ABA Past President Paulette Brown; ABA President Judy Perry Martinez; NAWJ President Judge Bernadette D'Souza; NAWJ Finance Chair Judge Marcella Holland; Dr. Angela White-Bazile)
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Near 100 intrepid members, supporters and friends of NAWJ gathered together in the French Quarter’s historic Hotel Monteleone to explore the meeting’s theme “Bringing Access into Harmony with Justice” in a series of discussions and gatherings that address how the legal community can ensure the basic right of access to justice. Both cognizant of the emerging health crises and fearless in a desire to address ongoing challenges some may face in gaining access to justice, meeting participants examined the ongoing crises in opioid use, human trafficking, trauma in the courts, and combating recidivism.
The Midyear Meeting began with local-area law school students, who participated in our Planting the Seed: Pathways to a Legal Career mentoring program. Law students were joined by an equal number of judges who enthusiastically shared their stories and career trajectories while offering treasured advice. The students were thrilled for the opportunity to have access to our members in an informal, supportive setting.
Meeting attendees, law students, bar leaders, and government officials joined us for a reception at the top of the hotel, whose windowed walls included sweeping views of the majestic Mississippi River, to honor NAWJ President Judge Bernadette D’Souza and her caring spirit within its justice system.
 The Meeting opened with a lively musical procession by the Mardi Gras Indians, and a Presentation of Colors by young students. NAWJ President, Judge Bernadette D’Souza warmly welcomed the attendees who filled the beautiful room that was the setting for all of our programs, and who had travel from as far as Alaska and Massachusetts to gather information to that they would translate into better serving their courts.
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| NAWJ’s Human Trafficking’ Committee Co-Chairs Judge Ann Breen-Greco and San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan opened the education portion of the program with an inspiring presentation. Ms. Stephen highlighted San Diego County’s efforts to combat human trafficking. While the country struggles to identify people caught up in trafficking’s heinous web, her presentation offered strategies that make a difference. You can download Ms. Stephan’s informative presentation here. Judge Elizabeth Lee and NAWJ Past Presidents Judge Tamila Ipema and Judge Lisa Walsh also shared the latest developments and opportunities where NAWJ may focus. During lunch, attendees were able to hear from United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California Dana Sabraw give the Keynote on his decision that forced the government to reunite immigrant families. |
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For months, NAWJ President Judge D’Souza looked forward to recognizing her mentor and friend, Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson. Chief Justice Johnson accepted the Lady Justice Award for her long-committed service to her community and the legal profession.
The afternoon sessions included a discussion on how to include your attorneys and emerging leaders in the community of people who impact lives for the better, and an inside school exploration on the future of opioids multi-state litigation processes. |
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The meeting culminated with a conversation between current ABA President Judy Perry Martinez and ABA Past President Paulette Brown, moderated by NAWJ Board Member Judge Marcella Holland. Both shared tales of their rise to leadership, and the initiatives that marked their terms and have left lasting effects in the ABA and the broader legal community. After the Conversation, everyone was energized by the good tidings of Dr. Angela White-Brazile. Her sermon reminded the judges attending that in order to sustain razor sharp focus in handling challenging cases often coupled with the challenge of pro se litigants, self care is essential to maintain judicial temperament and be mindful of the significant role we have as women.
The Midyear Meeting was a wonderful opportunity to gather our membership, but don’t miss out on all the important work NAWJ does throughout the year. Click here to review a slideshow of of other events. |
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| SAVE THE DATE! 2020 NAWJ ANNUAL MEETING IN NASHVILLE |
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WAYS TO HELP OUR NASHVILLE COMMUNITY AFFECTED BY THE TORNADO |
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| As you know, our Nashville community, who are planning and hosting NAWJ’s 42nd Annual Conference in October, were recently hit by a devastating tornado. NAWJ continues to keep everyone in Tennessee in our thoughts as they navigate disastrous setbacks toward stabilizing their communities. If you are interested in helping, consider donating to local reliefs funds:
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NAWJ ANNOUNCES 2020 COMMITTEE CHAIRS
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NAWJ is grateful for the energy, efforts and achievements of all its members who contribute to the advancement of the organization through its committees. A list of Committee Chairs for the 2019-2020 year may be found on our website.
See a committee you can make a valuable contribution to? Email Maureen Gelwicks (mgelwicks@nawj.org) to be added to the committee. |
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NAWJ TENNESSEE MEMBERS AMONG CURRENT AND FORMER FEMALE TENNESSEE SUPREME COURT JUSTICES WHO SHARED THE STAGE TOGETHER
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The three current female justices of the Tennessee Supreme Court —Justice Cornelia Clark, Justice Sharon G. Lee, and Justice Holly Kirby—were joined on stage with the three former female justices—Judge Martha Craig Daughtrey, Former Justice Penny White, and Former Chief Justice Janice Holder— for back-to-back events at Lipscomb University recognizing the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. It was the first time all of the female justices appeared together on stage, and the events were filled with inspiration, historical lessons, and humor.
The justices also shared their thoughts on navigating the male-dominated field of law in the past as well as today. While they all agreed great progress has been made, the justices said there is more work to be done.
“On one hand, I'm surprised when I walk into a room for a mediation and the plaintiff and the defendant are female, the attorney for the plaintiff is female, the attorney for the defendant is female, and I'm female,” Former Chief Justice, and NAWJ member, Janice Holder said. “And to me, that's great progress because just the sheer numbers are staggering. On the other hand, I can walk into a room, as I did last week, and have a receptionist ask me if I'm the court reporter. So, we've made great strides, but I also think that there are things that we still have to do and still be aware of to raise the level of consciousness about diversity and inclusivity, and we just have to continue to do it. We can't rest on our laurels and believe that everything has been taken care of.”
Click here to read more and find links to video and audio of the event. |
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FEDERAL BAR ASSOCIATION ISSUES STATEMENT ON THE RULE OF LAW AND AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY
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Respect for the rule of law and the preservation of an independent judiciary are among the most important principles upon which our Republic was founded. These time-honored principles have guided our constitutional democracy for more than two centuries. In fulfilling the Federal Bar Association’s mission and honoring our members’ commitment to upholding federal law, the Association has a responsibility to defend and protect the rule of law and the independence of our judiciary when these fundamental tenets are at risk.
The stability of our constitutional democracy rests on public confidence in all institutions charged with enforcing our laws, especially the U.S. Department of Justice. The just enforcement of law involves the well-grounded application of facts to the law and not political affiliations, personal interests, or retribution. Furthermore, the preservation of public confidence in the rule of law is associated with the longstanding recognition of the Attorney General of the United States as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer and the legal representative of the nation as a whole, not any government official, agency, party or person. Departure from this principle erodes public respect for the fairness of our legal system and equal justice under law.
Attacks on our judiciary pose the same danger. Judicial independence, free of external pressure or political intimidation, lies at the foundation of our constitutional democracy. An independent judiciary must be free of undue influence from the executive and legislative branches and must remain committed to the preservation of the rule of law and the protection of individual rights and liberties. When criticism of judges’ rulings crosses the line into personal attacks or intimidation, public respect for our system of justice is undermined, creating risk to our constitutional bedrock and the preservation of liberty. The Federal Bar Association urges all Americans and elected leaders to remain mindful of these cherished principles.
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CATCH UP ON THE LATEST NEWS ON JUDICIAL COURT |
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| The National Center on State Courts' Winter 2020 issue of the Judicial Conduct Reporter has been published and it is available online. The issue reviews 2019 and has articles on judicial discipline, removal cases, and top judicial ethics and discipline stories of 2019 among additional conduct and ethics news. The Judicial Conduct Reporter is published electronically, and an index of current and past issues of the Reporter are available on-line. Anyone can sign up to receive notice when a new issue is available. |
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| NAWJ NEWS AND SPOTLIGHT FORM - SHARE YOUR NEWS |
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| Do you have any news or updates that you would like to share with the NAWJ community? We want to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of those in our community, as well as keep our members apprised of events going on around the country. Please share any news from your district, yourself or a member within the NAWJ community on the new News and Spotlight form so that we can include in future monthly updates. |
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