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March 2012
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In This Issue:
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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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Dear Friends,
I look forward to seeing many of you next week at the 2012 Midyear Meeting and Leadership Conference
in Cambridge. We are at maximum capacity of over 300 anticipated guests and members for the Harvard
Law School Luncheon honoring Justice Elena Kagan. Our plans are just about complete. I want extend my
sincere appreciation to District One Director Ariane Vuono and the following committee members for their
tireless and devoted commitment to helping make the Midyear a smash! Additionally they are: Hon. Fernande
R.V. Duffly, NAWJ Past President; District One Deputy Director Hon. MaryLou Muirhead, NAWJ District One
Deputy Director; Hon. Martine Carroll; Hon. Cynthia Cohen; Hon. Terry M. Craven; Hon. Leslie Donahue;
Hon. Ellen Flatley; Hon. Patricia A Flynn; Hon. Martha P. Grace; Hon. Patricia Hurst; Hon. Bonnie H.
MacLeod-Mancuso; Hon. Antoinette E. McLean Leoney; Hon. Sally F. Padden; Hon. Mary Lou Rup;
Hon. Karyn Scheier; Hon. Kathe M. Tuttman; Hon. Mary Dacey White; and Hon. Gabrielle Wolohojian.
And of course, Friends Committee Chairs Karen Green, Esq.,Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, and
Susan Alexander, Esq., Executive Vice President & General Counsel at Biogen IDEC.
A huge thank you as well to Marie, Jeff and Lavinia who work their magic behind the scenes making us all look good!
I had the recent honor to attend at the invitation of District Three Director Sandra Robinson and
District State Chairs for New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware a luncheon meeting honoring Judge
Sue Yang's retirement and to celebrating the great success of Pennsylvania's Success Inside and Out
Program, amongst other initiatives in this active and committed district. Thank you for your devoted
service to NAWJ and congratulations on these excellent programs.
Soon after, I had the privilege to spend a stunning evening with the Maryland Chapter of District
Four for the Judge Irma Raker Annual Dinner, a gathering hosted by the Women Legislators of Maryland
and the First Lady of Maryland Judge Katie O'Malley at the majestic Governor's House in Annapolis.
Joint meetings between women judges and women legislators have been modeled in other districts as well,
in an effort to promote and facilitate continued networking and achievement of our shared missions.
Thank you to Judge Raker, District Director Judge Claudia Barber, Judge Toni Clarke, President Elect
Hon. Joan Churchill (Retired), District Four members, women legislators and of course, Judge O'Malley
for your hospitality and passionate work you do together.
See you in Cambridge,
Amy
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MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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As most of you know, Jeff Groton, NAWJ's devoted COO for ten years, is leaving to take the position of
Director of Finance and Administration at our sister organization, the International Association of
Women Judges (IAWJ). Upon learning of Jeff's new opportunity, I immediately began the process of
trying to fill Jeff's big shoes by advertising for NAWJ's Director of Finance and Administration
position in the Non Profit Times (NPT) and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).
Although the job title has changed, the responsibilities are the same, with an emphasis on our financial
stability and continued growth.
I received over 70 applications in response to the job posting. After numerous interviews, only a few
candidates rose to the level of professionalism and possessed the skill sets necessary to perform
the duties associated with this key NAWJ position. I am pleased to share with you the excellent credentials
of Craig Evans (click
here)
whom I am confident has those skill sets, not for profit work experience,
along with a professional demeanor critical for this position. After meeting with me and Jeff, Craig
was interviewed by members of the Hiring Advisory Committee, appointed by Judge Nechtem. Along with Judge
Nechtem they are, Judges Vanessa Ruiz, Brenda Loftin, Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, and Joan Churchill. We came
to a unanimous decision that Craig Evans holds the requisite overall qualifications that would deem him
an asset to our organization. Consequently, I made the offer to Craig and he enthusiastically accepted.
Craig Evans will begin his tenure on March 26th. He will be attending the Midyear Meeting and Leadership
Conference in Cambridge next week. Please join me in welcoming Craig to the NAWJ family. Thank you.
Warmly,
Marie
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2012 Midyear Meeting and Leadership Conference
March 9 - 11, 2012
The Charles Hotel
Cambridge, Massachusetts
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FRIDAY MARCH 9, 2012
KEYNOTE LUNCHEON: CHOICE FEMINISM AND THE REVOLUTION OF DECLINING EXPECTATIONS
Location: Harvard Law School
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Keynote Speaker: Judge Nancy Gertner (Retired), U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
NAWJ members and guests will lunch at Harvard Law School and hear Judge Gertner addressing
Choice Feminism and the Revolution of
Declining Expectations.
A CONVERSATION WITH THE JUSTICE
Location: Harvard Law School
Time: 1:35 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Speaker: Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States
Moderated by Dean Martha Minow, Harvard Law School
NAWJ members and guests will have the privilege of enlightening remarks and insight into life
as a member of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Presentation of the NAWJ Justice Elena Kagan Scholarship Award
"COURTS IN TIMES OF FISCAL CRISIS-WHO NEEDS COURTS?"
Location: Harvard Law School
Time: 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Moderator: NAWJ Judicial Education Committee Co-Chair Professor
Vicki C. Jackson, Harvard Law School
Panelists: Professor Gillian K. Hadfield, Richard L. and Antoinette S. Kirtland Professor of
Law, University of Southern California Law School;
Hon. Jonathan Lippman, Chief Judge of the State of New York and Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals;
Professor Judith Resnik, Yale Law School, NAWJ Judicial Education Committee Co-Chair.
JUDICIAL/FRIENDS RECEPTION
Location: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
NAWJ members and guests will enjoy an evening reception at one of Boston's notable venues
and network with old and new friends.
SATURDAY MARCH 10, 2012
BREAKFAST
Location: The Charles Hotel
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
EDUCATION PROGRAM - CHILDREN & IMMIGRATION ISSUES - THE INTERSECTION IN JUDICIAL
PROCEEDINGS
Location: The Charles Hotel
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Moderator: Hon. Joan V. Churchill, Immigration Judge, (Retired), Immigration Court for
Arlington, VA, and NAWJ President-Elect.
Panelists:
Professor Deborah Anker, Director, Immigration & Refugee Clinic, Harvard Law School
Dr. John A. Martin, Director, Immigration and the State Courts Initiative, Center For Public Policy Studies
Leslye E. Orloff, Esq., President, National Immigrant Women's Advocacy Project, Inc.
FREE TIME TO EXPLORE BOSTON, CAMBRIDGE AND SURROUNDS
Free time for those not attending the NAWJ Board meeting to explore Boston, Cambridge and surrounds.
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
NAWJ 2012 MIDYEAR BOARD MEETING
Open to NAWJ Board members and NAWJ members that wish to attend.
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
JUDICIAL RECEPTION
Location: Schlesinger Library, Harvard's Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Cambridge
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Presentation of the NAWJ Archives by Professor Nancy F. Cott, Pforzheimer Foundation, Director
of the Schlesinger Library.
SUNDAY MARCH 11, 2012
FAREWELL BREAKFAST
Location: The Charles Hotel
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
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IAWJ 2012 CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS
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The IAWJ and the UKAWJ have been working on the Conference Program. Although some presenters
have already been identified and we have heard from some of you, IAWJ is issuing this Call for
Presentations so that all of you have a chance to let us know if you would like to submit a proposal
for one of the planned sessions.
IAWJ aims to have a diverse panel of three or four speakers for each session while also leaving
time for questions and comments from the floor. The theme of the Conference is
"keeping safe, keeping well" and we currently have the
following topics in mind, but if you have other ideas and suggestions, please do not hesitate
to mention them:
Thursday, 3 May: 9.30 - 11.00: Incarcerated Women [plenary]
Women are imprisoned all over the world by the criminal justice, mental health and immigration
systems. Dame Anne Owers, formerly Chief Inspector of Prisons in the United Kingdom, has broad
experience with the prison system in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. This is a subject of deep
concern to IAWJ members and we are looking for judicial perspectives from other countries.
Thursday, 3 May: 11.30 - 1.00: Trafficking [plenary]
This panel will describe the IAWJ's two projects on trafficking, in Haiti and Argentina, but
opening them up to a broader discussion. In particular, we want to learn how trafficking issues
are presented (or absent from) courts around the world. We would like to hear stories from our
members about trafficking and related matters (such as, for example, cases involving forced marriages,
adoption abuses, mistreatment of street children, etc.). What is happening in your courts?
The format of this panel will be "structured audience participation." That is, the moderator will
take stories submitted by you, and weave them into an overall discussion with more speakers than
can take part in a traditional "talking head" panel. We are not looking for formal presentations,
but only for stories from your courts.
Thursday, 3 May: 2.00 - 3.00: Sextortion [plenary]
Sex + Extortion = Sextortion. This hidden form of corruption identified by the IAWJ is pervasive
in societies. The IAWJ and its partner associations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Philippines and
Tanzania have just completed a 3-year program developing this concept. They introduced and "named"
sextortion for members at the IAWJ's conference in 2010. This session will share the steps now
taken by thousands of rural and urban women and men - judges, law enforcement, media and others -
who have joined together in multi-sectoral efforts to raise awareness and fight this form of
sexual exploitation and corruption.
Friday, 4 May: 9.30 - 11.00: Judicial Health and Safety [parallel session]
We are all concerned about safeguarding the health and safety of the judiciary, but perhaps, as
women judges often called upon to sit in less secure court rooms and given little protection from
those who find our decisions unpalatable, we have an added interest. We would like to hear about the
experiences and solutions found by IAWJ members around the world.
Friday, 4 May: 9.30 - 11.00: Women and Children as Armed Combatants [parallel session]
Child soldiers are commonly found in many conflict zones, because they are so useful to their
commanders, but they are scarcely true volunteers. To what extent is the same true of women soldiers?
We would like to hear about the dilemmas and the solutions found for them from IAWJ members around the world.
Friday, 4 May: 11.30 - 1.00 Services for Victims of Sexual Violence [plenary]
Sexual violence takes may different forms - including, for example, female genital cutting as well as
rape and other sexual assaults. The legal system may make these acts a crime, but this may have little
effect unless victims are able to come forward, and be properly examined and supported. Baroness Vivien
Stern, former Secretary General of Penal Reform International and Director of the National Association
for the Care and Re-settlement of Offenders, has recently looked at the handling of rape complaints in
the United Kingdom. We need judicial perspective on the problems from other countries.
Friday 4 May: 2.00 - 3.00: Women, Work and Health [parallel session]
Women's participation in the workforce can be the key to economic development, not only for the
individual women, but also for the whole society. Dame Carol Black, National Director for Health and
Work, can speak about this from a medical point of view, but we need to hear from IAWJ members regarding
their experiences of widening women's participation in the workforce.
Friday 4 May: 3.30 - 5.00: Violence and the Problem-Solving Court [parallel session]
Is judging just about resolving private disputes and punishing wrongdoers? Or is it also about finding
creative and positive solutions which may help people lead better lives in future? Nowhere is this
question more relevant than in the field of violence between family members, where it may not be possible
for the parties simply to walk away from one another. We need to hear from IAWJ members on the solutions
which they have found and how they see these solutions fitting in with their judicial role.
Saturday: 9.30 - 11.00: Reproductive health [plenary]
The current plan is to discuss a "hypothetical" case study raising many of the issues in reproductive
health with a multi-disciplinary panel. We would like to hear from IAWJ members who have a particular
interest in the subject.
Please contact the program committee with proposals, comments and suggestions at
bethany.nevitt@supremecourt.gsi.gov.uk or
email the IAWJ at: conference@iawj.org.
Please note that you will need to be a registered IAWJ member and conference attendee in order
to present at the IAWJ 2012 conference.
You may also see this call for Presentations online at:
/uploads/files/event_406/IAWJ%202012%20CALL%20FOR%20PRESENTATIONS.pdf.
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"Meet Me In Miami"
NAWJ 34th Annual Conference
November 7 - 11, 2012
Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach
Miami Beach, Florida
Register online or download the
registration form to register.
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Room Reservations: (800) 319-5354
NAWJ Rates: Standard Room $199/night, plus applicable taxes
Resort Tower Room $219/night, plus applicable taxes
Ocean Tower Room with Ocean View $229/night plus applicable taxes
CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS
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Judge Lisa S. Walsh
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Judge Myriam Lehr
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Education Committee
Chairs: Judge Laurel Isicoff • Judge Cindy Lederman
Members: Judge Rosemary Barkett • Judge Professor Donna Coker • Judge Jeri Beth Cohen
Judge Edward Davis • Judge Justice Dana Fabe • Judge Ellen Leesfield • Judge Chris McAliley
Judge Kathleen Mulligan • Judge Professor Amy Ronner • Judge Mary Schroeder
Professor Tara Twomey
Finance Committee
Chair: Judge Gladys Perez • Member: Maureen Jaeger Walsh
Speakers Committee
Chair: Judge Gladys Perez • Member: Laura Morilla
International Judges Committee
Chair: Judge Mercedes Bach • Member: Judge Judy Chirlin
Social Events Committee
Chairs: Judge Nushin Sayfie and Judge and Lourdes Simon • Member: Amy Rosenberg
Volunteers Committee
Chair: Judge Marcia Caballero
Mentor-Mentee Committee
Chair: Judge Monica Gordo
FRIENDS COMMITTEE
Law Firm Partners Co-Chairs
Elizabeth Hernandez, Akerman Senterfitt
Linda M. Leali, White & Case LLP
Detra P. Shaw-Wilder, Koyzak Tropin & Throckmorton
Corporate Partners Chair
Mikki Canton, AsiaAmericana International LLC
ANNUAL CONFERENCE SPONSORS
Gold
Akerman Senterfitt LLP
Silver
Astigarraga Davis
Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP
Broad and Cassel
Carlton Fields
GrayRobinson, P.A.
Hogan Lovells
Hunton & Williams LLP
Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton, P.A.
Merrill Lynch Global Wealth and Investment Management,
The MAB Group
Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A.
White & Case LLP
Bronze
Avila Rodriguez Hernandez Mena & Ferri LLP
Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP
Grossman Roth, P.A.
Holland & Knight LLP
Podhurst Orseck, P.A.
TotalBank
Amigos
Damian & Valori LLP
Elser Foster-Morales
GlassRatner Advisory & Capital Group
Meland Russin & Budwick
The Law Office of Nicole E. Mestre, P.A.
Pathman Lewis, LLP
Squire, Sanders & Dempsey
Weiss Serota Helfman Pastoriza Cole & Boniske, P.L.
TENATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM OVERVIEW
PLENARY PANELS
INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY
This panel will address: What are the problems facing independence of the judiciary? What
can we do about it? What ARE we doing about it? What are effective strategies for judicial
independence? What is happening in other countries?
POWER AND REACH OF THE INTERNET AND THE AGE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING
What are the existing privacy laws? What are expectations of privacy? How do those existing
privacy laws fit in with the current realities, cyberstalking and available remedies? How does
the Internet and social networking impact the judiciary and the ethics of judges or their clerks
using the internet to research information about cases, jury members, lawyers, etc.?
JUDGING IN AN INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY - CROSS BORDER COMMUNICATIONS AND COORDINATION
This panel will address what judges can, do and should communicate with one another, formally and
informally, regarding cross border issues or simultaneous proceedings. We will use Chapter 15 of
the US Bankruptcy Code, which explicitly authorizes such communication, as a spring board for what
could be used as a model in general business cases.
BRINGING HUMAN RIGHTS HOME
This panel will examine what is new and what is happening with respect to the use of human rights
norms in the domestic (US) context.
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
THE ECONOMIC CRISIS
These panels will address the far reaching impact of the economic crisis on individuals, institutions,
and society at large.
THE ECONOMIC CRISIS - HIDDEN IMPACT
Beyond banks and board rooms, the global economic downturn is having a profound effect on the
everyday lives of people around the world. Societies, too, are being tested as the engines of
economic growth sputter forward. This panel will explore the less visible consequences of
the financial crisis and its impact on people and communities.
CURBING ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN A DOWN ECONOMY
Equal justice is an idea that we have long striven for in American society. But, is the economic
crisis, with its strained government budgets, court cutbacks and loss of legal aid funding,
turning back the clock on the progress we've made in reaching the goal of equal justice for
all? Join us for this panel in which we will discuss how the financial squeeze is impacting
access to justice at the individual court level and in society in general.
PRESENTATIONS BY AUTHORS
We will have two authors discuss books they have recently written and sign books.
(i) Judith Resnick will speak about her book "Representing Justice".
(ii) Prof. Sally Kenney will discuss her book "Gender and Judging"
THE IMPACT OF OTHER LAWS ON COURT DECISIONS
This panel will discuss issues relating to bankruptcy, immigration and other laws that may or
will impact criminal, family and commercial cases.
LAWYERING & JUSTICE: EMERGING ISSUES IN NATIONS IN TRANSITION
This panel will look at the challenges that women lawyers and judges are facing as the world around
them changes. We have issues in the Middle and Far East as well as much closer to home in the
Caribbean and Venezuela.
CUBA - A SPECIFIC STUDY IN TRANSITION ISSUES
NON-ACADEMIC SESSIONS
SO YOU THINK YOU HAVE A BOOK IN YOU
Someone "in the business" will share the secret (and not so secret) guidance in what it takes to write a
book and get it published.
WOMEN'S HEALTH PANEL
A panel of doctors from the University of Miami School of Medicine will discuss the aging woman
and the physical and psychological issues about which we should be aware.
MINDFULNESS AND STRESS REDUCTION
A discussion about a new method for reducing stress and making us more effective judges.
YOGA, PILATES, AND MEDITATION
We will start our day(s) the right way with a group class each morning.
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New 2012 Forster-Long State Gender Ratio Statistics
Now Available from NAWJ's website
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From NAWJ's website you may now view state-level gender statistics from Forster-Long's most recent publication
of THE AMERICAN BENCH, an annual comprehensive publication that profiles federal and state
courts. In 2008, NAWJ joined with Forster-Long, publisher of
THE AMERICAN BENCH and THE AMERICAN BAR, to share information it gathers
for its publication and for NAWJ members to provide Forster-Long with biographical information and other data.
Click on the U.S. map
reachable from NAWJ's homepage to find for each state:
(1) the ratio of total women state court judges to total judges in that particular state
(2) the ratio of women to total judges in the state's court of highest jurisdiction
(3) the ratio of women to total judges in the state's intermediate appellate courts
(4) the ratio of women to total judges in the state's trial courts of general jurisdiction, and
(5) the ratio of women to total judges in the state's lower level trial courts of limited jurisdiction.
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Events
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2012
A Color of Justice and
MentorJet Program will take place with law school
students at the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville, Kentucky. March 7, 2012.
NAWJ's Midyear Meeting and Leadership Conference will take place March 9 - 11 in Cambridge,
Massachusetts at The Charles Hotel.
Pathways to the Bench. Sponsored by NAWJ and the D.C.
Women's Law Initiative will take place March 17 at Catholic University Columbus School of
Law, Washington, D.C.
A Color of Justice and
MentorJet Program will take place with high school students at
the San Diego County Court, along with the University of San Diego and Thomas Jefferson Law Schools.
March 22, 2012.
National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary Midyear Educational Conference in
Reno, Nevada from April 1-3, 2012.
District 13 Judicial Reception. NAWJ, Washington State Gender and Justice Commission, and the Women's
Law Caucus of the University of Washington Law. School and Seattle University Law School. April 12,
2012 in Seattle, Washington.
District 11 Reception. NAWJ, University of Texas School of Law and Travis County Women Lawyer's Association.
April 18, 2012 in Travis County, Texas.
International Association of Women Judges 2012 Bi-Annual Conference
will take place May 2 - 5 in London, United Kingdom.
Joint Reception with the ABA Commission on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. NAWJ
will jointly sponsor the Commission's Spring Meeting and participate in the opening reception. The mission
of this Commission is to present education for lawyers and judges on issues related to DV and Sexual Assault,
May 3rd in Seattle, Washington.
NAWJ's 34th Annual Conference will take place in Miami, Florida, November 7 - 11 at the
Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach.
2013
NAWJ's 35th Annual Conference will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana.
2014
The 2014 International Association of Women Judges Bi-Annual Conference will take place in Tanzania
May 6 - 9.
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NAWJ
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Mission Statement:
The National Association of Women Judges' mission is to:
Promote the judicial role of protecting the rights of individuals
under the rule of law through strong, committed, diverse judicial
leadership, fairness and equality in the courts, and equal
access to justice.
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About NAWJ:
Since its formation in 1979, NAWJ has inspired and lead the
American judiciary in achieving fairness and equality for vulnerable
populations. Led by two visionary women - Justice Joan Dempsey Klein
and Justice Vaino Spencer - 100 brave and intrepid women judges met and
formed an organization dedicated to the following ideals: ensuring equal
justice and access to the courts for all including women, youth, the
elderly, minorities, the underprivileged, and people with disabilities;
providing judicial education on cutting-edge issues of importance;
developing judicial leaders; increasing the number of women on the bench
in order for the judiciary to more accurately reflect the role of women
in a democratic society; and improving the administration of justice to
provide gender-fair decisions for both male and female litigants.
From the day it was founded, NAWJ has been committed to diversity in
our membership. Our organization welcomes both men and women. We include
appellate, trial, tribal, administrative law judges, state and federal
judges, and members from every state in the nation.
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 have greatly 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 also are
respected as a leader in educating judges on bioethics, elderly abuse,
the sentencing of women offenders with substance abuse problems; improving
conditions for women in prison; and the problems facing immigrants in our
court system. Currently we are developing curricula on the effect of
genetic advances on women and vulnerable populations, the impact of
international law on state and federal courts, and cognitively disabled
persons in criminal courts.
In addition to addressing these and other important issues, NAWJ
provides an opportunity for judges to meet and discuss professional issues
of mutual concern in a supportive atmosphere. Connecting with others with
the same values, we laugh, enjoy life and mentor one another nationwide.
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