Do you think you would make a good judge? What are the qualities that a judge should have? What skills are needed? Do female candidates have what it takes.
Here is a great commentary in The Herald by Alistair Bonnington, a soliciter advocate in Scotland. Don’t always believe it when people tell you that there just aren’t enough qualified candidates.
Categories: Judiciary
I just read an article from the Telegraph in the UK about the lack of women candidates in the pool for the selection of High Court judges. It seems to me that recruitment and nurturing candidates are good ideas when it comes to achieving diversity in the courts. Isn’t that what we had to do in the first place to get the gender-split enrollment to equal levels? Plant the ideas in childhood that women can be lawyers and they just might try in adulthood. The same should be done for diversity purposes. Let’s encourage minorities in North America and the UK to think about law school. Things can change.
Categories: Judiciary
I ran across an article in the Herald News today with this headline:
”Judicial subcircuit races to pit men vs. women”
While it is true that the races highlighted have candidates of both genders running, I wonder what that headline is trying to tell us. Okay, so each race is a man versus a woman, but it’s not like the races were structured that way on purpose. Or rather, is the headline trying to convey that it is a significant or noteworthy event to see that for every male candidate, there is a female candidate? But why not say that instead of using the phrase “pit men vs women”? There is something striking about bringing up the gender of judges at all. In my practice, I never consciously think of a judge’s gender and whether that would work for/against my client’s interest.
Categories: Judiciary
Sometimes you have to read it to believe it.
Categories: Judiciary
In a follow up to my earlier post, I found this article in which the author quotes some reactions from male lawyers and a female lawyer about how female judges are now being trained in the UAE. The men stress that females are simply different in a way that would not allow them to be good judges.
On the other side of the world, this article from The Lawyers Weekly also discusses some differences between the genders. The author provides a summary of a speech by Donna Goodhand, a leadership communications specialist, who recently spoke to the Women’s Law Association of Ontario on legal negotiation styles, including strengths and weaknesses that female lawyers exhibit. Here’s an excerpt of the article discussing something that I catch myself doing all the time:
Goodhand also recommended avoiding a few gender traps, such as “undermining openers.” These include expressions such as “I guess what I’m trying to say,” “It’s probably just me,” “in my opinion,” or “I’m sorry” when you’re not. Diminishing endings, also a problem, include “isn’t it?”, “right?” or “you know what I mean?” These expressions should all be dropped, Goodhand said.
She explained that the use of these strategies is contextual. If undermining openers and diminishing endings are used in a rapport-building social encounter, they’re absolutely right. If they’re used in a competitive encounter such as legal negotiations, they’re deadly.
No more “undermining openers” for me in 2008 (or at least I’ll try not too)…oh wait, is that an undermining opener?…Oh, crap.
Categories: Judiciary · Lawsuits and Settlements
I haven’t seen the raw numbers, but I just read a bizjournals.com article with some information about Hispanic lawyers:
“According to the lists, nationally, Hispanic women outpace Hispanic men both in enrollment and degrees granted. Hispanic women outnumber Hispanic men in 15 of the 25 schools listed for total enrollment.”
The study is from the Dec. 3 issue of Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education but I don’t think it’s officially out yet, otherwise I would post a link. I wonder how big the difference is when they say “outnumber”? When I was practicing in Chicago, I met both male and female Hispanic lawyers, but my favourite Latina judge of all time is hands down Judge Marilyn Milian.
Categories: Judiciary · Reports/Studies
I’ll admit that I’ve thought about it. If I had a choice, would I go into the judiciary or the legislature? According to this Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article, women are finding it easier to go one route over the other. One political scientist commented:
“Lawyers think about running for judge. But we have to encourage men and women to think about running for the Legislature“
Personally, I would hate the “politics” with being in the legislature. I’m sure there are politics with being a judge too, but I would think there is a lot of discretion as well. Being in the legislature on the other hand, you’re at the mercy of so many political forces… I don’t think I could handle it.
In Canada, we have made strides in getting female judges but in the legislature, it’s a different story.
By now I’m sure everyone’s heard about the lawyers in Pakistan who first demonstrated peacefully and now are defending themselves from attacks. [If you want a good background of the events to date, read this Economist.com article: "Lawyers against the general."] The photographs I have seen in the past few days show many lawyers and political and human rights activists protesting against General Musharraf. Many of whom, on any other day, would be arguing with each other over the usual legal and political mumblejumble, but on this issue, they have found a common cause.
Judges and lawyers have been placed under house arrest and the courts are closed. Asma Jahangir is among those under house arrest. She earned her law degree in 1978 and was featured as an Asian Hero by Time Magazine in 2003. She is currently the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.
Imagine that, putting a world famous human rights lawyer under house arrest?!? What is it that the General doesn’t want her to see or say? The more this dictator tries to suppress the protesters’ message, the more important it becomes for Pakistan and the rest of the world to voice the suppressed words of the arrested protesters.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all the judges, lawyers and activists. We all pray for their safety and freedom.
Categories: Judiciary · Lawyers and Law Firms · Politics · W.I.L.D. Women
US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has a new book out. Anita Hill is going to be back in the spotlight soon. According to this article in the Tucson Citizen, she is now teaching law at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass.
Categories: Judiciary
