District 11 News - June 2021

District 11 continues its monthly meeting for State Chairs and members.  The May meeting was attended via zoom by 25 members including several members who had not joined the meetings previously.

Its regular networking session “Just Us” was held on May 13.  This monthly zoom meeting allows members to meet each other without an agenda; members shared professional and personal tidbits from their daily lives.

Three new members from Texas have been welcomed—County Judge Lucy Hebron (Wood County), Judge Teana V. Watson, County Court At Law #5 (Ft. Bend), and Judge Toni. M. Wallace, County Court at Law #4 (Ft. Bend).  Twenty-six members have joined District 11 since Feb. 1, 2021.

Texas Women Judges Day was held on April 13, 2021.  Led by NAWJ member Chief Justice Rebeca Martinez, members recorded statements that comprised the video compiled with the support of the Texas Office of Court Administration and Senator Judith Zaffirini and staff.  It was an NAWJ program that was shared with all judges throughout the state and on social media and will be used for further recruitment.   That video is here.

The resolution honoring Texas Women Judges was presented before the Texas legislature on April 13th.

Members around the state celebrated in their own home towns.

Color of Justice (Houston) (Organizers:  Ronique Robinson, Lesley Briones and Julie Countiss) was held on April 23, 2021.  In collaboration with the 3 area law schools, members provided a fantastic program involving many members in HerHonor talks.  The program can be viewed here:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

Six scholarships were given to 6 law students.  Their acceptance speeches were truly inspiring and can be viewed at the links above.  This program will only grow and improve next year.  We shared program brochures/flyers and documents with NAWJ.

Texas Latinx Judges
A new organization for judges, Texas Latinx Judges, launched on Cinco de Mayo 2021.  All of the founding members of Texas Latinx Judges are NAWJ members even though this program started as a project out of the Judiciary Committee of the Hispanic Issues Section of the State Bar of Texas.  Texas Latinx Judges supports the judicial role of Latinx judges by strengthening the network of and connection between Latinx judges, recognizing their contributions to the judiciary, and increasing the advancement and number of Latinx judges.  TLJ also encourages judicial service in the Latinx community and helps to build a talent pipeline of future Latinx judges with the overall goal of advancing equal justice in the State of Texas.  For more information, the website is at:  texaslatinxjudges.org

Promotional video featuring NAWJ members Judge Lesley Briones, Judge Victor Villarreal, Chief Justice Dori Contreras, Judge Maria Salas Mendoza, Justice Gina Benavides, Judge Antonia “Toni” Arteaga and Ret. Judge and NAWJ Lifetime Member Judge Orlinda Naranjo can be viewed here.