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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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Greetings,
Since the conclusion of the phenomenal annual conference in San Diego, NAWJ staff, board of directors,
members and partners have been deeply engaged in moving forward this year's agenda through planning a fabulous
midyear board meeting and leadership conference in exciting Chicago, circulating committee memberships and designated
chairs to jump start programs and projects through our District/State Chair infrastructure, and networking with
partners and engaging leaders across our nation to further our mission's goals.
And now it is the time of year when we simultaneously scurry to get things done, in both our professional and
personal lives, and gradually begin to make room for the warmth and joy of the holiday gatherings we share with
friends and family. It is also a time for reflection.
From a professional perspective, I am reminded of the privilege that has been bestowed upon each of us to serve
the public in a judicial capacity and of the responsibility with which we have been entrusted on a daily basis.
As members of NAWJ, we have embraced a broader scope of responsibility that goes beyond presiding over the cases
and addressing the parties in the matters that come before us. In furtherance of our mission-driven objectives,
we have committed to permeating the infrastructure that governs appointments to enhance the opportunity for women
and minorities to advance to the bench, reaching into schools - particularly in impoverished communities - to
expose girls to the possibility of a legal and perhaps even judicial career, expanding the reach of civics education
to raise the consciousness of the voting electorate to the vital necessity of an independent and impartial /'free and fair'
judiciary, protecting the rights of our most vulnerable populations through our collective voice and action,
striving to ensure equal and meaningful access to justice for all, and to mentoring on many levels the generations
of young women who will assume leadership roles.
And, beyond the endeavors we undertake as active NAWJ members, I am proud to identify with an organization of
women leaders who continuously demonstrate how deeply we care about communities every time we step off the bench,
remove our black robes, and venture into the streets to work side by side with our neighbors and with those in need
to improve the quality of life for the multitudes who daily struggle to survive and strain to be heard. I am very
grateful for the opportunity to know and collaboratively work with so many dedicated women from across the country
and from diverse backgrounds in this shared effort to keep the promise of making our communities a better place for all to live.
From a personal perspective, I am also very mindful that for some the holidays are riddled with the pain of loss,
ill health, and unexpected challenging situations. Thus, it is also the time of year we remember the treasured gift
of friendship, and provide support and strength to one another, and lift the spirits of those we know and those we
don't through the giving of our time, compassion and resources.
With warm wishes to each of you and your families during this holiday season, and for peace in the coming year, I
leave you with some inspiring and comforting excerpts from a timeless seasonal poem by Maya Angelou:
"Into this climate of fear and apprehension ... enters streaming lights of joy, ringing bells of hope. ... The world
is encouraged to come away from rancor, Come the way of friendship.
Hope is born again in the faces of children. It rides on the shoulders of our aged as they walk into their sunsets.
Hope spreads around the earth. Brightening all things. Even hate which crouches breeding in dark corridors.
We beckon this good season to wait a while with us. We, the Baptist, Buddhist, Methodist and Muslim, say come,
Peace. ... We, the Jew and the Jainist, the Catholic and the Confucian, Implore you to stay awhile with us. So we
may learn by your shimmering light how to look beyond complexion and see community.
We look at each other, then into ourselves, And say without shyness or apology or hesitation.
Peace, my Brother. Peace, My Sister. Peace My Soul."
- Maya Angelou
PRESIDENT'S CALENDAR
November Meetings: NAWJ's President Judge Julie Frantz traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with
staff at the new offices of NAWJ located at Farragut Square at K Street. The trip combined with
President's Frantz's attendance at the Annual Rehnquist Dinner sponsored by the National Center
for State Courts, and a meeting with Tina Tchen, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff
to the First Lady Michelle Obama, to discuss current issues in human trafficking and immigration,
and NAWJ's upcoming Midyear Conference panels in Chicago.
December Tributes: NAWJ paid tribute to Co-Founder Justice Joan Dempsey Klein in a letter of
recognition drafted by President Frantz and presented at a December 1, 2014 California Women
Lawyers reception. Mayor of Miami Tomas Regalado held a reception honoring the selection of Judge
Lisa Walsh as NAWJ President-Elect at which a letter of recognition drafted by President Frantz
was presented. This week of December 17, Judge Frantz is notifying NAWJ chairs and members of
assignments and encouraging chairs to set a brief initial organizational meeting before year's end.
January 14 Travel: Judge Frantz will join the 2015 Annual Conference Planning Committee Kick-off
event in Salt Lake City, Utah to welcome the local legal community into the NAWJ community, and
share ideas for next year's conference. Kickoff hosts Conference Co-Chairs Hon. Michele Christiansen
(Utah Court of Appeals) and Hon. Sharon McCully (Third District Juvenile Court, Retired) will be
joined by Friends Committee Chairs attorneys Tammy G. Georgelas, Esq. (Snow Christensen & Martineau)
and Margaret N. McGann, Esq. (Parsons Behle & Latimer). Later in the month, from January 24 to 28,
Judge will attend the Midyear Meeting of the Conference of Chief Justices in San Antonio, Texas.
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Statement Submitted to Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution,
Civil Rights, and Human Rights
NAWJ Women in Prison Committee Continues Support with Yale's Liman
Program in Call for Robust National Agenda Addressing Needs
of Women in Detention
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Download Liman's latest Statement to the Judiciary Subcommittee
here: "The State of Civil and Human
Rights in the United States: Hearing Before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution,
Civil Rights, and Human Rights December 9, 2014 - Women in Detention: The Need for a National Agenda. "
The report was submitted to the record on December 8, 2014 by the Arthur Liman Public Interest Program at
Yale Law School: Johanna Kalb, Director and Visiting Associate Professor of Law; NAWJ Member Judith Resnik,
Arthur Liman Professor of Law; and Megan Quattlebaum, Senior Liman Fellow in Residence. The Statement is a
reflection of many people additionally NAWJ Past Presidents Judge Brenda Murray, Chief Justice Dana Fabe,
Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, Judge Gladys Kessler and longtime members and friends Nan Aron, Hon.
Nancy Gertner, and Hon. Patricia M. Wald.
**
Background. On September 3, 2014, eleven U.S. Senators wrote to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director,
Charles E. Samuels, Jr., raising concerns about BOP's plan to change the use of the Federal Correctional
Institution (FCI) in Danbury, Connecticut from a women-only facility to a facility devoted primarily to
men. On November 6, 2013, Director Samuels called the Women in Prison Committee and informed NAWJ that
there would continue to be a 200-bed secured facility at Danbury with all existing services and program;
a new 50-bed facility in Brooklyn, New York; and a committee of wardens to advise on best practices for
treating women.
Questions surfaced due to the lack of progress in keeping federal space in the northeast. In 2012, while
following the conditions of women in prison, NAWJ's Women in Prison Committee learned of BOP's request for
operating funds to create a new large women's prison in Aliceville, Alabama. The proposed isolated location
would make family visits difficult for inmates outside of the region.
"Dislocation and Relocation: Women in the Federal Prison System and Repurposing FCI Danbury for Men," a
report by Yale Law School Professor Judith Resnik and the
Arthur Liman Public Interest Program details the
important role that the Danbury facility plays in serving incarcerated women (and their families) who
reside in the Northeast, and the benefits of services that promote successful re-entry back to their communities.
NAWJ's Women in Prison Committee followed the letter to BOP Director Samuels by making the case to more
members of Congress, BOP administrators who oversee women offenders, and the Deputy Attorney General's Office.
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Voices of Justice:
Keeping the Promise of the Rule of Law through Advancing Judicial Diversity
NAWJ Midyear Meeting and Leadership Conference
April 23-25, 2015 • Chicago, Illinois
Palmer House Hilton Hotel
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PLANNING COMMITTEE
Conference Chair, Judge Julie Frantz, NAWJ President
Local Planning Chair, Judge Ann Breen-Greco, NAWJ Vice President for Districts
Friends Committee Chair,
Gabrielle Buckley, Esq.,
Shareholder, Vedder Price
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Laurel Bellows, Esq.,
Past President of the ABA, Principal, The Bellows Group
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
(Check back here
after the beginning of the year for updates.)
THURSDAY, APRIL 23
Keynote Luncheon, Speaker Laurel Bellows
Afternoon Programming to be Announced
Evening Reception
FRIDAY, APRIL 24
Morning Programming To be Announced
Luncheon
Afternoon Programming to be announced
Architectural Boat Tour
Dine-Arounds
SATURDAY, APRIL 25
NAWJ Resource Board Breakfast Meeting
NAWJ Board of Directors Meeting
NAWJ Board of Directors Lunch
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FEES:
$425 for NAWJ Members ($375 Early bird rate until February 13)
$525 for Non-Member Attendees ($475 Early bird rate until February 13)
$325 Guest Rate (spouse and children of attendees)
Register online
here,
or download and fax
this registration form.
ROOM RESERVATIONS: Click
here or call (877) 865-5321
NAWJ Rate: $195(1 bathroom) or $215 (2 bathroom)/night, plus applicable taxes.
For More Information Contact:
Conference Chair: Judge Julie Frantz at julie.e.frantz@ojd.state.or.us
Local Planning Chair Judge Ann Breen-Greco at annbreen-greco@sbcglobal.net
Conference Manager: Mary Kathleen Todd at mtodd@nawj.org.
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With Liberty and Justice for All
NAWJ 37th Annual Conference
October 7-11, 2015 • Salt Lake City, Utah
Grand America Hotel
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CONFERENCE CHAIRS
Hon. Michele Christiansen, Utah Court of Appeals
Hon. Sharon McCully (Retired), 3rd District Juvenile Court
EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Peggy Hunt, Esq., Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Hon. Sandra Peuler, Third District Court, Utah
Hon. Kate Toomey, Utah Court of Appeals
FRIENDS COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Tammy G. Georgelas, Esq., Snow Christensen & Martineau
Margaret N. McGann, Esq., Parsons Behle & Latimer
SCHEDULE
Conference begins approximately 5:00 pm on Wednesday, October 7 with a Welcome Reception and will run
through until a Farewell Breakfast on Sunday, October 11. Check back
here for updates.
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FEES:
$525 for Members who are First-Time Attendees
$595 for NAWJ Members ($550 Earlybird rate until April 25, 2015)
$695 for Non-Member Attendees
$575 Guest Rate for Spouse and Children of Attendees ($550 Earlybird rate until April 25, 2015)
Register online
here,
or download and fax
this registration form.
ROOM RESERVATIONS:
Call (800) 304-8696 • NAWJ Rate: $189/night, plus applicable taxes
For More Information Contact:
Hon. Michele Christiansen at mmchristiansen@utcourts.gov
Hon. Sharon McCully at sharon.mccully@comcast.net
Conference Manager: Mary Kathleen Todd at mtodd@nawj.org
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NAWJ Past President Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby Presides Over a Shakespearian
Mock Trial where NAWJ Resource Board Member Christina Sarchio Defends Lysistrata
at the Landsburgh Theatre
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(Photo, left) The Judges, Advocates, and Trial Participants: (l-r):
Pantelis Michalopoulos, Lori Alvino McGill, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Abbe D. Lowell, Christina Sarchio,
William Karas, Justice Samuel Alito, Judge Anna Blackburn-Rigsby, Dr. Norman B. Sandridge, Stewart Baker.
(Photo, right) Attorney Lori McGill defends Lysistrata before Justice Alito (center) and his two
colleagues, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Brett Kavanaugh and District Court of Appeals Judge
Anna Blackburne-Rigsby. (Photos: Kevin Allen)
On November 24, 2014 NAWJ Past President Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, joined by fellow panel members Supreme
Court Justice Samuel Alito and District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Brett Kavanaugh, presided
over an 'Athenian High Court' as part of the Shakespeare Theatre's annual Mock Trial. In a legal take on one
of the most famous 'war of the sexes', Lysistrata is brought before the court to "answer for her crimes:"
"The procedural posture was a little odd: Lysistrata had already been acquitted,
and the City of Athens' appeal appeared to be double jeopardy - a point her crack legal team, Christina
Sarchio of Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe LLP and Lori McGill of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP
touched upon lightly. (The applicability of the Bill of Rights was open to debate.) But the City of Athens'
fierce team from Steptoe & Johnson - Stewart Baker and Pantelis Michalopoulos - insisted that the Magistrate
had been illegally dragooned into giving an acquittal to charges of murder, treason, conspiracy, theft and
conversion, thus making the appeal possible."
Read the rest on this very funny case
here.
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The Hon. Anna Blackburne-Rigsby Authors Review Article:
Ensuring Access to Justice for All: Addressing the "Justice Gap"
Through Renewed Emphasis on Attorney Professionalism and Ethical Obligations
in the Classroom and Beyond
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Download her Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics article
here.
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NAWJ 2014-2015 Board of Directors
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Executive Committee
President
Hon. Julie E. Frantz
Multnomah County Circuit Court
Portland, Oregon
President-Elect
Hon. Lisa S. Walsh
Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Civil Division
Miami, Florida
Vice President, Districts
Hon. Ann Breen-Greco
Illinois State Board of Education
Chicago, Illinois
Vice President, Publications
Hon. Diana Becton
Contra Costa County Superior Court
Martinez, California
Immediate Past President
Hon. Anna Blackburne-Rigsby
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Washington, D.C.
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Secretary
Hon. Beverly Winslow Cutler
Alaska Court System, 3rd Judicial District
Palmer, Alaska
Treasurer
Hon. Ariane Vuono
Massachusetts Appeals Court
Boston, Massachusetts
Finance Committee Chair
Hon. Tanya R. Kennedy
New York State Supreme Court
New York, New York
Projects Committee Chair
Hon. Marcella A. Holland
Baltimore City Circuit Court (Retired)
Baltimore, Maryland
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District Directors
District 1 (ME, MA, NH, PR, RI)
Hon. MaryLou Muirhead
Boston Housing Court
Boston, Massachusetts
District 2 (CT, NY, VT)
Hon. Betty Williams
New York State Supreme Court
Brooklyn, New York
District 3 (DE, NJ, PA, Virgin Islands)
Hon. Katherine Hens-Greco
Allegheny County Court of Pleas
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
District 4 (DC, MD, VA)
Hon. Toni E. Clarke
Circuit Court for Prince George's County
Upper Marlboro, Maryland
District 5 (FL, GA, NC, SC)
Hon. Diana Eagon
Hennepin County District Court
Nokomis, Florida
District 6 (AL, LA, MS, TN)
Hon. Joy Cossich Lobrano
Louisiana Court of Appeal, 4th Circuit
New Orleans, Louisiana
District 7 (MI, OH, WV)
Hon. Katherine L. Hansen
36th District Court
Detroit, Michigan
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District 8 (IL, IN, KY)
Hon. Laninya A. Cason
20th District Circuit, St. Clair County
Belleville, Illinois
District 9 (IA, MO, WI)
Hon. Ellen Levy Siwak
State of Missouri, 21st Judicial Circuit
St. Louis, Missouri
District 10 (KS, MN, NE, ND, SD)
Hon. Debbie Kleven
Northeast Central Judicial District
Grand Forks, North Dakota
District 11 (AR, OK, TX)
Hon. Rebeca Martinez
Fourth Court of Appeals
San Antonio, Texas
District 12 (AZ, CO, NM, UT, WY)
Hon. Terry Fox
Colorado Court of Appeals
Denver, Colorado
District 13 (AK, HI, ID, MT, WA, OR)
Hon. Marilyn G. Paja
Kitsap County District Court
Port Orchard, Washington
District 14 (CA, NV)
Hon. Tamila E. Ipema
San Diego County Superior Court
Carlsbad, California
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Special Directors
International Director
Hon. Ann Walsh Bradley
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Madison, Wisconsin
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ABA Delegate
Hon. Norma L. Shapiro
U.S. District Court, Eastern District
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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NAWJ Welcomes GEICO as our Newest Landmark Sponsor
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Earlier this year GEICO joined NAWJ in sponsoring of the 2014 Midyear Meeting and Leadership Conference
in Washington, D.C. They are continuing their relationship with NAWJ as a Silver Landmark Sponsor.
Part of NAWJ and GEICO's partnership will provide insurance discounts to NAWJ members. Contact
GEICO for a free quote on auto insurance to see how much you could be saving. And don't forget to
mention your NAWJ affiliation; you could qualify for an exclusive member savings opportunity.
Visit www.geico.com/disc/nawj
(special portal here)
or call 1-800-368-2734 for your free rate quote. GEICO can also help you find great rates on homeowners,
renters, motorcycle insurance, and more!
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Retirement Celebration for
Presiding Justice Joan Dempsey Klein
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Hosted by: California Women Lawyers (CWL), Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (WLALA),
Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Inc. (BWLLA), Latina Lawyers Bar Association (LLBA),
Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance (APAWLA), National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ),
and the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ)
Special Guest Speakers:
• Presiding Justice Lee Smalley Edmon, Division Three, Second District Court of Appeal (as of 1/5/2015)
• Presiding Justice Norman L. Epstein, Division Four, Second District Court of Appeal
• Administrative Presiding Justice Judith McConnell, Division One, Fourth District Court of Appeal
• Wendy Behan, President of California Women Lawyers
For more information and to register, please visit www.cwl.org.
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Calendar of Programs and Events
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2015
January
California Womens Lawyers' Retirement Celebration for NAWJ Co-Founder Presiding Justice Joan
Dempsey Klein will be held January 22, 2015 at the Hilton Checkers in Los Angeles, California.
For more information and to register, please visit www.cwl.org.
April
NAWJ will hold its 2015 Midyear Meeting and Leadership Conference from April 23-24, 2015 at the
Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Chicago, Illinois.
October
NAWJ will hold its 37th Annual Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah from October 8-11, 2015.
2016
May
The International Association of Women Judges Biennial will be hosted in the United States by the
National Association of Women Judges in Washington D.C. from May 26-29, 2016.
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