Developing a more diverse bench means encouraging girls to imagine themselves as judges, encouraging older students to prepare themselves for law study, and assisting law students and new lawyers to launch careers that will ensure that they are prepared to be the best possible jurists. Simply having the desire and the preparation to be a judge is not enough, however. It is essential to find savvy mentors and reliable information about how to get appointed or elected. Women’s bar associations are well positioned to be of assistance at every step in the process. By organizing formal and informal programs and networks, and by providing links to relevant information on their websites and via social media, women’s bar associations make a difference in developing a diverse judiciary.
Here are some examples of women’s bar programs that affirmatively advocate for increased diversity on the bench and provide guidance to women and other underrepresented groups on the process and requirements for attaining a judicial position:
Many bar organizations, including associations that are NCWBA members, conduct formal screening of candidates for judicial office and/or join with other bar groups to do so jointly within their jurisdiction. They undertake this time-consuming and important task to ensure not only that courts are comprised of a diverse range of individuals, but also to ensure that nominees for judicial office have appropriate experience, integrity, a judicial temperament, and an open mind to ensure that they will follow the law and not any preconceived litmus tests.
White House Judicial Vacancy Briefing, May 7, 2012 NCWBA President Pam Berman (right) and past NCWBA presidents Mary Sharp and Cezy Collins
The NCWBA is an affiliate of the American Bar Association, with a vote in the ABA House of Delegates. Representation in the ABA House of Delegates adds our collective voice to the debate and vote on many key ABA resolutions.
The National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations (NCWBA) is a unique organization and coalition of over 35,000 women lawyers of various women’s bar associations. We are dedicated to championing the success of women’s associations and providing a national forum for exchanging ideas and information vital to organizational growth and success in today’s profession.
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