Racial Equity In Our Justice System: What Does It Look Like And What Are We Doing To Ensure It?

The NAWJ Fairness and Access Committee presented this webinar on February 22, 2021, highlighting the role of race and ethnicity in our justice system.  This webinar focused on the ways in which race and ethnicity are interconnected with access to justice, and, in light of the social justice movement which was re-energized by the death of Mr. George Floyd, specific steps courts are taking to identify and remedy racial and ethnic inequity.  

Our distinguished panelists were: Hon. Cheri Beasley, Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina; Hon. Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals; Hon. Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California; and Hon. Vanessa Ruiz, Senior Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. 

Participants learned:

• Ways in which racial inequity can manifest itself in our judicial system today; and 

• Specific steps courts are taking to identify and remedy this inequity.