Standing Committee on Minorities in the Judiciary
"One of the great strengths of America
as we would like it to be (as perceived by the optimists among us)
is its racial, ethnic and cultural diversity. In simplest terms,
we are referring principally to whites (of various ethnicities and
religions), African Americans (Blacks), Hispanics (Latinos), Asian
Americans (Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, Koreans, East Indians,
Indo-Chinese and Pacific Islanders), and Native Americans (American
Indians).
We celebrate the richness of our diversity. We used to boast of the great 'melting pot' which presupposed that we would merge our identities into an amorphous American Model. The passage of time has taught us the fallacy of that concept. We now believe that we can be distinctly American, but still maintain our cultural history, language, music, and identity."
Justice Charles Z. Smith, Retired
Washington State Supreme Court
July 15, 2008
12:00 Eastern
This teleconference will bring together judges, lawyers and others interested in increasing diversity in the judiciary. Speakers will
address difficult and complex issues confronted by lawyers of color, who aspire to become State and Federal Administrative Law Judges, State and Federal Appellate Judges and State and Federal Trial Judges through both the election and appointment process. Continue to visit our web site for more details on the teleconference.
Moderator:
Gloria Wilson Shelton Esq., Baltimore, MD
Distinguished Speakers:
Judge Joan Davenport, Administrative Law Judge, District of Columbia Office of Administrative Hearings, Washington, D.C.
Judge Jose Martinez, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami FL
Judge Maria Rivera, First District Court of Appeal, Division Four, San Francisco, CA
Judge Michael Witte, Dearborn Superior Court, Lawrenceburg, IN
The teleconference is cosponsored by the ABA Judicial Division Lawyers Conference and the ABA Young Lawyers Division
2008 Annual Meeting
School Outreach Program
Thursday, August 7, 2008
10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Thurgood Marshall Academy For Learning & Social Change
200 W. 135th St
New York, NY 10030
The Committee will take cabs from their hotels to the school and from the school to Miss Maude's Spoonbread Two.
Standing Committee on Minorities in the Judiciary Luncheon Meeting
Thursday, August 7, 2008
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Miss Maude's Spoonbread Two
547 Lenox Avenue
Bet. 137th and 138th Streets
New York, NY
Standing Committee on Minorities in the Judiciary Dinner
Thursday, August 7, 2008
8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m
Fresco
34 E 52nd St
New York, NY 10022
(212) 754-2700
Immediately following the Judicial Division Welcome Reception
Spouses and children are welcome
Members and guests are responsible for their transportation, meals and beverages
Judicial Division Tribal Courts Council Program
Saturday, August 9, 2008
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Maze of Injustice: The Failure to Protect Indigenous Women from Sexual Violence in the USA
Marriott Marquis
Chelsea, Empire Complex
7th Floor
Cosponsored by the Standing Committee on Minorities in the Judiciary
2008 Midyear Meeting Highlights
Celebrating Diversity on the Bench
By: Michael Bergmann, Lawyers Conference
The Standing Committee on Minorities in the Judiciary (SCMJ) hosted a reception to celebrate and promote a diverse judiciary as part of the 2008 Midyear Meeting. Hosted by McGuireWoods LLP at their offices in Century City, Los Angeles, ABA Members were joined by local members of the bench and bar and firm representatives, including Managing Partner, David Van Et ten; Business Development Manager, Megan Weinsten; and Partners, Tracy Evans Moyer, Sidney Kanazawa and Mark Suzumoto.
Local Los Angeles Superior Court Judges, the Honorable Allen Webster (also a SCMJ member) and the Honorable Cynthia Loo, helped to make the reception an outstanding success. Loo, a member of the Judicial Division, also serves on the Board of Governors of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Asian Pacific American Women Bar Alliance and the Women Lawyer's Association of Los Angeles. Other notable attendees included the President of the National Bar Association, Vanita Banks; the Honorable Bernice Donald, Secretary-Elect of the ABA; Nicole Bershon, President of the Women Lawyer's Association; and Patrick Ashouri, Past-President of the Iranian American Lawyer's Association.
The SCMJ Co-chairs, Gloria Wilson Shelton and Honorable G. Michael Witte, greeted reception attendees. They outlined the work of SCMJ on promoting diversity on the bench as well as that of the Judicial Division’s Judicial Clerkship Program, providing an intensive clerkship experience during the ABA Midyear meeting for minority law students. Judicial Division Chair, the Honorable James Wynn, underscored the importance of diversity on the bench and thanked McGuireWoods for generously hosting the reception in their new offices. Sid Kanazawa, chair of the firm’s LA office Diversity Committee echoed the importance of diversity in the profession and of McGuireWoods' commitment to that important ideal.
Thirteen photographs depicting the diversity of judges in the Los Angeles Superior Court conveyed the progress toward judicial diversity on a pictorial level at the reception. This special exhibit is part of a larger exhibit, “Judicial Portraits,” by photographer and Administrator for Community Relations for the Los Angeles Superior Court, Camilo Cruz.
CAPTION: Los Angeles Superior Court Judges Kelvin Filer and Allen Webster appear in one of the photographs from the collection by Camilo Cruz.
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Michael G. Bergmann is a member of the Standing Committee on Minorities in the Judiciary and the Executive Committee of the Lawyers Conference. He is the director of the Chicago-based Pro Bono Initiative.
