|
|
|
|
February 2013
|
|
In This Issue:
|
-
President's Message, NAWJ Offers Proposal to Host IAWJ's 2016 Biennial Conference
-
NAWJ Co-Sponsors ABA Judicial Division's 'Human Trafficking 101' Program
-
NAWJ Subcommittee Chair Judge Linda Strite Murnane to Hold Judicial Division International Courts
and Rule of Law Committee Meeting during ABA Midyear
-
Legal Momentum Calls for Continuing Judicial Education About Sexual Violence
-
NAWJ Announces LexisNexis' Continuing Support for Color of Justice in 2013
-
USDOJ Office on Violence Against Women Announces Court Training and Improvements Program Funding Opportunities
-
2013 Midyear Leadership Conference, May 2-4, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
-
2013 Annual Conference, October 9-13, Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, LA
-
Send NAWJ Your News, Next Counterbalance Newsletter Submissions Deadline is May 1, 2013
-
NAWJ Upcoming Events
|
|
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
|
|
Announcement of Board Vote to bid for 2016 IAWJ Biennial
I am pleased to announce that the Board of Directors of the National Association of Women Judges voted
unanimously at the January meeting of its Executive Committee to authorize preparation of a proposal
offering to host the 2016 IAWJ Biennial Conference in Washington, D.C. We are moving forward with
preparation of the proposal for submission to the IAWJ Board of Directors.
IAWJ, which was founded by NAWJ, has not held its Biennial in the United States since its first Biennial
Conference was held in San Diego in 1992. We are excited about this opportunity to have this important
international conference back in our country, and specifically in Washington, D.C., our nation's capital.
If NAWJ is selected to be the host for 2016, we shall need the help of our members throughout the
country to work on the planning over the next three years. We shall report back to the membership, if
we are ultimately successful, and seek volunteers for the planning committees.
Those who have attended a Biennial report that they are transforming experiences. The opportunity to
showcase the judiciary of our country, and learn from our judicial sisters from around the world,
promises to be an exhilarating experience for us all.
Joan V. Churchill
Honorable Joan V. Churchill
|
Human Trafficking 101 for Lawyers and Judges
Understanding the Issue-Exploring Solutions
Friday, February 8, 2013
During the ABA Midyear Meeting
The Anatole Hotel
Dallas, Texas
|
|
This American Bar Association's Judicial Division (National Conference on Specialized Court Judges)
program on human trafficking will discuss the nature and scope of this issue in the United States. The
panelists will provide a review of federal and state law, the work of state human trafficking task forces,
local legislative developments, business community efforts to combat this issue, and discuss pro bono
opportunities for attorneys. Click
here to download
the program announcement, including speaker details.
NAWJ is a proud co-sponsor of this program.
Click here to reach
the ABA 2013 Midyear Meeting webpage for more information. Click
here to
download the Human Trafficking 101 program announcement.
|
Judicial Division International Courts and Rule of Law Committee Meeting
American Bar Association
Saturday, February 9, 2013
2 p.m.
Atrium I, Cooper, Lobby Level
The Anatole Hotel
Dallas, Texas
|
|
Colonel Linda Strite Murnane, Chair of the ABA's Judicial Division International Courts and Rule
of Law Committee, has reserved a committee meeting table for the International Courts and Rule of
Law Committee to meet on Saturday, February 9 at 2 p.m. The meeting will be held in Atrium I,
Cooper, Lobby Level. The meeting will not last longer than one hour if there are enough persons
whose schedules permit them to attend for a meaningful dialogue about committee goals. If you
plan to attend, please reply to Kmurnane98@aol.com as
soon as possible.
Judge Murnane is chair of NAWJ's International Outreach Subcommittee on International Courts.
|
Legal Momentum Highlights Need for
Judicial Education About Sexual Violence
|
|
Two recent cases involving sitting judges, and the responses to a judicial education program for new
judges, underscore the ongoing need for judicial education about sexual violence. A California Superior
Court judge was censured for his comments minimizing the crime during the sentencing phase of a rape case.
In Pennsylvania, a civil rights suit settled with a $1.5 million award to a rape victim after the Third
Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the rape myths on which police and a Federal District Court Judge relied
upon to have the victim wrongfully arrested for making a false report. After a Virginia judge presented
a program for new judges based on the National Judicial Education Program's publication
Judges Tell: What I Wish I Had Known Before I Presided in an Adult Victim
Sexual Assault Case, several judges told her that before the program they believed in rape myths
such as rape is committed by strangers jumping from the bushes and "real" rape victims have serious,
visible, physical injuries.
For thirty years the National Judicial Education Program, (NJEP) a project of Legal Momentum, in
cooperation with the National Association of Women Judges, has provided judicial education on adult
victim sexual assault for state, federal and tribal judges. NJEP has a variety of resources on this
issue and is funded by the Office on Violence Against Women to provide technical assistance and training
on sexual assault and the intersection of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Thanks to Lynn Schafran for keeping this issue in the forefront of judicial education agendas. For more
information contact NAWJ member and Legal Momentum NJEP Director Lynn Hecht Schafran at (212) 413-7518.
|
|
LexisNexis Continues Sponsorship of Color of Justice Programs
|
 For the third year in a row, LexisNexis®
continues to generously sponsor Color of Justice programs around the country. NAWJ Past
President Judge Brenda Loftin created NAWJ's Color of Justice program in 2001 and piloted
its launch in St. Louis, MO at the Washington University School of Law. She recently wrote:
"The NAWJ Color of Justice program has indeed motivated young girls and young women to be
better students, better citizens and most of all, inspired them to become lawyers and judges."
Read her experiences of the program's expansion over the years in last spring's
Counterbalance newsletter
here.
LexisNexis is delighted to further develop its relationships with NAWJ and associated judges.
Many LexisNexis employees have law degrees and practiced law prior to joining the company.
Through this special joint NAWJ-LexisNexis effort, LexisNexis staff finds opportunities to impart
their wide range of professional experiences to program participants and to share how their legal
education and professional experiences apply to their current careers at LexisNexis. In addition to
funding, LexisNexis staff assists with the logistics of locating interested schools and community
organizations that work with teenage youth.
NAWJ has plans to host Color of Justice program in San Francisco, Oklahoma, New Jersey and Washington,
D.C., as well as other district events in the planning stage.
Thank you LexisNexis for your devoted support!
|
Justice Department's Office on Violence Against Women Announces Court Training and
Improvements Program Funding Opportunities
|
|
The U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women recently released a Fiscal Year
2013 solicitation for its Court Training and Improvements Program. The solicitation offers two
types of funding: (1) a 36-month development grant, to develop a specialized domestic violence/sexual
assault docket or to enhance an existing docket/project; and (2) a 24-month supplemental training grant
for judicial and/or staff education. Grantees are required to seek technical assistance from one of the
OVW-Designated Judicial Technical Assistance Providers for the Courts Program. Legal Momentum
(National Judicial Education Program) and the National Center for State Courts are among the seven
listed in Appendix B, after page 43 of
the solicitation. The application packet is available at:
/uploads/files/docs/courts-program-solicitaion-final-for-release.pdf
|
2013 Midyear Leadership Conference
May 2-4, 2013
The Washington Court Hotel
Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
|
Click
here
to register online. Or, download
this
registration form.
Conference registration fees:
$375 for NAWJ Members
$475 for Non-Members
$325 for Spouses/Children of Attendees
Room Reservations: (800) 321-3010 or (202) 628-2100
NAWJ Rate: $179/night, plus applicable taxes, single or double occupancy.
PLANNING COMMITTEE
Hon. Joan V. Churchill, Chair
Hon. Claudia Barber
Hon. Anna Blackburne-Rigsby
Hon. Gladys Kessler
Hon. Noel Kramer
Hon. Vanessa Ruiz
HOST COMMITTEE
Co-Chairs:
Nicole Erb, Esq.,
White and Case, LLP
Elaine Metlin, Esq.,
Dickstein Shapiro LLP
Members:
David Dorsen, Esq.,
Sedgwick LLP
Tia Fenton, Esq.,
Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, L.L.P.
Lisa Horowitz, Esq., McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Hon. Lauren Best Leeker,
Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
Christina Sarchio, Esq.,
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP
Amy Wigmore, Esq.,
Wilmer Hale
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Click here
to download the conference invitation.
THURSDAY, MAY 2
FRIDAY, MAY 3
NAWJ Board of Directors Meeting
Private, behind the scenes tour of the United States Supreme Court
Panel Review of Recent Supreme Court Immigration Cases
Hon. Juan Osuna, Director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Department of Justice
Hon. Paul Schmidt, Immigration Judge for Arlington, VA
Forum examining Judicial Independence Issues faced by Special Courts compared
with General Courts
Moderator: Professor Vicki Jackson, Harvard Law School
Panelists: Hon. Ann Breen-Greco, Administrative Law Judge/Hearing Officer,
IL State Board of Education
Hon. Dana Marks, Judge, Immigration Court, San Francisco, CA
Hon Pauline Newman, Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Hon. Michael Ponsor, Judge, U.S. District Court (MA)
Hon. Eric Washington, Chief Judge, District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Reception at the Supreme Court with Greetings from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
SATURDAY, MAY 4
All day training on Human Trafficking
Faculty (committed to date): Judge Virginia Kendall,
U.S. District Court (IL), co-author of Trafficking: Examining the
Global Challenges and the U.S. Responses
Judge Elizabeth Lee, San Mateo County Superior Court, CA
John Martin, Director of Center for Public Policy Studies Immigration Project
Nick Sensley, Humanity United
Louise Shelley, Professor, George Mason University School of Public Policy;
Director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime & Corruption Center; and author of
Human Trafficking, a Global Perspective
Hon. Dana Marks, Judge, Immigration Court, San Francisco, CA
|
|
|
October 9-13, 2013
The Ritz-Carlton
New Orleans, Louisiana
|
Register online
here,
or download and fax
this registration form.
Conference registration fees:
$595 for NAWJ members ($550 before May 6)
$525 for members who are first-time attendees
$625 for non-members
Room Reservations: (504) 524-1331 or (800) 542-8680
NAWJ Rate: $245/night, plus applicable taxes, single or double occupancy
CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS
Judge Mary Hotard Becnel • Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson
Education Co-Chairs
Judicial: Judge Phyllis Keaty, Third Circuit Court of Appeal, Louisiana
Judge Laurie White, Orleans Parish Criminal District Court
Academic: Professor Kathryn Venturatos Lorio, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Professor Sally J. Kenney, Executive Director, Newcomb College Institute
Social Events Co-Chairs
Judge Rosemary Ledet, Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal, Louisiana
Judge Laurie White, Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, Louisiana
Finance Chair
Judge Joy Cossich Lobrano, Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal, Louisiana
Volunteers Co-Chairs
Judge Ethel Simms Julien, Orleans Parish Civil District Court, Louisiana
Judge Bernadette G. D'Souza, Orleans Parish Civil District Court (Family) Louisiana
Registration Co-Chairs
Judge June Berry Darensburg, 24th Judicial District Court, Louisiana
Judge Tiffany Chase, Orleans Parish Civil District Court, Louisiana
FRIENDS CO-CHAIRS:
Kim M. Boyle, Esq.,
Partner, Phelps Dunbar LLP
Matthew Moreland, Esq.,
Becnel Law Firm LLC
Kara Hadican Samuels, Esq.,
Sangisetty
CONFERENCE TOPICS
IMMIGRATION ISSUES IN THE COURTS
The impact of immigration issues pervading all aspects of state and federal courts.
PRISON REVIEW
Innovations in sentencing that reduce recidivism and costs, such as alternative
sentencing, re-entry programs, diversionary programs, and featuring the NAWJ Women in Prison Project.
REPRODUCTIVE LEGAL ISSUES
How science, technology and nontraditional unions raise new legal issues in the areas
of reproduction and custody.
GENDER AND JUSTICE
An examination of the role of gender in the judicial selection process, state judicial races,
and the treatment of women judges; judicial history of women judges.
TRAFFICKING
The recognition and impact of this international issue in our federal and state courts.
THE JUDGE AS PUBLIC SERVANT
Discussion of conflicts between the roles of the judge and the public servant; judicial outreach
initiatives, and public service opportunities post-retirement.
MILITARY AND VETERANS JUSTICE
Examination of progress made regarding sexual assault cases and a discussion of the need
for Veterans specialty courts.
|
Vice President of Publications Judge Tanya R. Kennedy
Calls for Submissions for the Next Issue of Counterbalance
Issue Theme: Celebrating the History of Women in the Law
Deadline: May 1, 2013
|
|
Counterbalance informs and connects our members around the country
by featuring news and information which highlights NAWJ's educational programs and activities.
Consider sharing news from your jurisdiction with fellow colleagues in the newsletter. If you know
of women judges in your state who have been recently elected, appointed, promoted or honored, let
us know. If you have articles, announcements, book reviews, or events that you would like included in
Counterbalance, please pass them along as well. NAWJ will also
publish essays and articles of interest which are in accord with our mission.
The deadline for submitting information for the next issue of Counterbalance
is MAY 1, 2013. Look for the spring issue in June 2013 after May's Midyear in
Washington, D.C. Those interested in submitting material should do so by emailing all text and
picture files to Lavinia Cousin at lcousin@nawj.org.
|
|
Events
|
2013
NAWJ District Director Judge Orlinda Naranjo will join the University of Tulsa's College of Law to present
Color of Justice on February 22 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Contact Judge
Orlinda Naranjo at orlinda.naranjo@co.travis.tx.us for more information.
NAWJ District 4 District of Columbia Chapter will present
iPad and iPad Apps for Judges on March 5, 2013 at the District
of Columbia Superior Court. Event is free and open to all NAWJ members. Email
lcousin@nawj.org to RSVP or for more information.
NAWJ San Francisco Superior Court Judge Charlene Padovani Kiesselbach will chair the
Color of Justice on March 15, along with Queen's Bench and the
California Women Lawyers, at the San Francisco Superior Court. Contact Lavinia at
lcousin@nawj.org or Judge Kiesselbach at
ckiesselbach@sftc.org for more information.
IAWJ Regional Conference: Latin America and Caribbean Region will take place March 14-15, 2013 in Iguazu,
Misiones, Argentina. All NAWJ members are members of IAWJ and are invited to attend IAWJ conferences.
Contact IAWJ at 202-223-4455 for conference details.
NAWJ District 4 District of Columbia Chapter will present
So You Think You Want to Write a Book on March 28, 2013 at the
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Event is free and open to all NAWJ members.
Email lcousin@nawj.org to RSVP or for more information.
NAWJ District 4 will present Let Freedom Ring, a play in six scenes
about Martin Luther King, Jr.'s emergence as a civil rights leader during the Montgomery bus boycott,
featuring a cast of judges and politicians written by Judge Paul Handy. The production will take place at
Howard University School of Law's Moot Court Room, Tuesday April 9, 2013 from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Seating
is limited. Email lcousin@nawj.org to RSVP or for more information.
NAWJ Midyear Meeting and Leadership Conference will take place May 2-4, 2013 in Washington, D.C. The host
hotel is the Washington Court Hotel.
IAWJ Regional Conference Asia/Pacific Region will take place May 9-12, 2013 in Auckland, New Zealand.
White & Case LLP and NAWJ will present Color of Justice for
Washington Middle School for Girls on May 22 in the firm's Washington, D.C. offices. Contact
Lavinia at lcousin@nawj.org for more information.
NAWJ 35th Annual Conference will take place October 9-13, 2013 at
The Ritz Carlton in
New Orleans, Louisiana.
2014
The International Association of Women Judges Bi-Annual Conference will take place May 6-9, 2014 in Tanzania.
Click here for more conference details.
NAWJ 36th Annual Conference will take place October 15-19, 2014 at
Westin Gaslamp Quarter
in San Diego, California.
|
|
|
|
