The Washington State Supreme Court Gender and Justice Commission currently has open membership positions and invites interested people to apply by November 30^th.

The Gender and Justice Commission was established following the publication of “Gender and Justice in the Courts” in 1989, and its mission is to:

·        Identify concerns and make recommendations regarding the equal treatment of all parties, attorneys, and court employees in the State courts, and

·        Promote gender equality through researching, recommending, and supporting the implementation of best practices; providing educational programs that enhance equal treatment of all parties; and serving as a liaison between the courts and other organizations in working toward communities free of bias.

In September, the Commission published 2021: How Gender and Race Affect Justice Now, a groundbreaking new study on how gender and race impact justice, and the intersection of gender and other identities and experiences (e.g., LGBTQ+, poverty). The recommendations from this study will help guide the Commission’s work in the coming years, and we are looking for new members who want to join that exciting work!

To Apply:

Please send a letter of interest and resume to commissions@courts.wa.gov for consideration by the Commission Co-Chairs and Nominations Committee. If there are specific issues that you are interested in working on with the Commission, please reference that in your materials.

We are excited to announce that the application for the Judicial Institute's Fellows Clinic is now open. The Judicial Institute is committed to the diversification of Washington's courts. *Please share widely with your minority bar associations so we can ensure a more accessible path to the judiciary. *

We hope many of your members will consider applying.

About the Clinic:
Fellows will participate in two-day in-person interactive sessions at Seattle University School of Law on March 13-14, 2022, designed to provide practical knowledge to help legal professionals from a variety of backgrounds become judges.  Taught by instructors who are judges, minority bar judicial evaluation committee members, and appointing authorities, the clinic will address topics including judicial ethics, the judicial appointment process, and preparing for a judicial campaign. We will be following SU's public health protocols for the in-person clinic.

In addition, Fellows will be assigned judicial mentors who will provide one-on-one feedback and guidance. At the end of the program, Fellows should have the skills and information to begin seeking a position on the bench. Fellows will also receive general and ethics CLE credits.

Application Process:
Interested applicants with eight years or more of legal experience should submit a letter of interest, resume, and an application. The application materials are due November 15, 2021 and available HERE.

Questions? Please email us at info@judicialinstitute.org

Join CWD on Thursday, October 21st @ 5:00 pm as we host a panel of formerly incarcerated women as they share with us the challenges they faced rebuilding their lives. These challenges impact how they continue their education, find employment, and rebuild relationships with their families and friends.

These courageous women are using their experiences to advocate for laws, policies, and programs that expand access to resources and opportunities for formerly incarcerated women to build a new future for themselves, their families and communities. Join us to learn how you can support this work.

Register today to reserve your spot.

18^th Annual Images and Perceptions Diversity Conference will be held virtually on October 14, focuses on “Empowering Communities by Embracing Diversity."

The event will include presentations and panel discussions on critical topics in the DEI space, with a focus on the law, education, healthcare and the media.

I thought your members would be particularly interested in hearing about two of the sessions taking place at this year’s event:  

Session I: The Law and Judicial Equity: Moderator: Barbara McQuade (Professor, UM Law). Panelists:  Hon. Pablo Cortes (62A District Court), Hon. Megan Cavanaugh (Michigan Supreme Court), Fadwa Hammoud, (Michigan Solicitor General), and Hon. David Perkins (Wayne County Probate Court).

Session IV: Civil Liberties: Moderator: Dr. Jim Zogby (Arab American Institute). Panelists: Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, and Barbara McQuade (Professor, UM Law).

Additional panelists for the conference include:

·         Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, NAACP Detroit

·         Dr. Abdul El-Sayed

·         Rep. Abdullah Hammoud, Michigan House District 15

·         David Knezek, Wayne County Commissioner

·         Richard Lui, MSNBC

·         Dr. Philip Levy, Wayne Health

·         Dr. Adnan Munkarah, Henry Ford Health System

·         John Quinones, ABC News

·         Dr. Michael Rice, Michigan State Superintendent

·         Ray Washington, Wayne County Sheriff

A full agenda and list of panelists are available at the event website, and I have attached a flyer for the event as well.  Individual, group, and sponsorship rates are currently available. The event is MCOLES registered, and CEUs are available where applicable.  

This is an amicus brief that WWL signed this month. Information below:

https://womenlawyersonguard.org/2021/09/women-lawyers-lives-careers-will-suffer-without-abortion-right-brief-warns-justices/

19-1392 Brief.pdf

Dobbs Jackson amicus brief PR-WLG NAWL WBADC.pdf

Mentors, Mentees, and Friends of the Program:

The Joint Minority Mentorship Program (JMMP) is holding a two-day workshop on starting your own law firm or non-profit, co-hosted by WWL and SABAW. The Zoom event is coming up soon: Sat. Oct. 2nd and Oct. 9th, 9am-12:30pm.  Pre-registration required. Details below.  Please spread far and wide as this event is free and open to all!

P.S. We still have a handful of slots for panel participants.  If you have experience starting/running your own law firm or non-profit organization, and are interested in joining a panel discussion, please email me at rania.rampersad@gmail.com.

Cheers,

E. Rania Rampersad

SABAW President / JMMP Founder

-------------------------

Taking the Plunge: A Two-Day Workshop on Starting Your Own Law Firm or Non-Profit

Have you ever thought about starting your own law firm (for profit or not-for-profit)?  Do you worry that you don’t have the resources, the connections, or the mentors to make it happen?  This event is for YOU!  Join the Joint Minority Mentorship Program for an interactive workshop to discover all the information, resources, and support that is out there waiting to help you.  Experts from a variety of backgrounds and practice areas will answer your questions, demystify the process, and give you the tools you need to succeed.  Sessions will place special emphasis on the perspectives of successful lawyers from a variety of underrepresented backgrounds, including women, ethnic, racial, and religious minorities, LGBTQ+ attorneys, attorneys with disabilities...etc. The event is open to all.  Register Here to attend.

What: Two Day Workshop on Starting Your Own Law Firm or Non-Profit

Who: Joint Minority Mentorship Program Follow-Up Event (free/open to all)

Co-Hosts: Washington Women Lawyers and South Asian Bar Association Washington

When: 10/2 and 10/9 from 9am-12:30pm

Where: Zoom (link provided upon registration) 

Full Event Registration Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YsR5aZVJhsZEH2hl-uIiWAfLv9w4sEvjGEt0beLmDwQ/

JMMP is a partnership of several minority bar associations, hosted by SABAW, which pairs mentor lawyers of all backgrounds (including allies) with mentee law students and new lawyers (of any and all historically underrepresented groups) for a year-long program. JMMP is generously sponsored by The Opportunity and Progress Council, Foster Garvey’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative.

For questions about the workshop, or more details about the mentorship program, contact E. Rania Rampersad, SABAW President/JMMP Founder, at rania.rampersad@gmail.com.

Taking the Plunge: A Two-Day Workshop on Starting Your Own Law Firm or Non-Profit

Have you ever thought about starting your own law firm (for profit or not-for-profit)?  Do you worry that you don’t have the resources, the connections, or the mentors to make it happen?  This event is for YOU!  Join the Joint Minority Mentorship Program for an interactive workshop to discover all the information, resources, and support that is out there waiting to help you.  Experts from a variety of backgrounds and practice areas will answer your questions, demystify the process, and give you the tools you need to succeed.  Sessions will place special emphasis on the perspectives of successful lawyers from a variety of underrepresented backgrounds, including women, ethnic, racial, and religious minorities, LGBTQ+ attorneys, attorneys with disabilities...etc. The event is open to all.  Register Here to attend.

What: Two Day Workshop on Starting Your Own Law Firm or Non-Profit

Who: Joint Minority Mentorship Program Follow-Up Event (free/open to all)

Co-Hosts: Washington Women Lawyers and South Asian Bar Association Washington

When: 10/2 and 10/9 from 9am-12:30pm

Where: Zoom (link provided upon registration) 

Full Event Registration Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YsR5aZVJhsZEH2hl-uIiWAfLv9w4sEvjGEt0beLmDwQ/

JMMP is a partnership of several minority bar associations, hosted by SABAW, which pairs mentor lawyers of all backgrounds (including allies) with mentee law students and new lawyers (of any and all historically underrepresented groups) for a year-long program. JMMP is generously sponsored by The Opportunity and Progress Council, Foster Garvey’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative.

For questions about the workshop, or more details about the mentorship program, contact E. Rania Rampersad, SABAW President/JMMP Founder, at rania.rampersad@gmail.com.

CJA PANEL & MENTOR PROGRAM - Information session 9/28/21 at noon.  See below.

The conflict panel for the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Washington, better known as the CJA Panel, is currently accepting applications. Successful applicants will be seasoned criminal defense attorneys with substantial federal defense experience, excellent oral and written advocacy skills, and a demonstrated commitment to representing people who cannot afford to pay for a lawyer.

In addition, we are seeking applicants to our mentor program, which provides instruction and paid second-chair opportunities to experienced attorneys who need more exposure to federal criminal cases before being accepted to the panel.

The  CJA Panel and Mentor Program Combined Application is available at https://waw.fd.org/node/2795.

We are hosting an open house for prospective applicants to learn more about the CJA Panel and Mentor Program on September 28 at noon. Here is the Zoom information:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89344186207

Passcode: 737738

Applications are due October 15, 2021. Questions may be submitted to jennifer_kaplan@fd.org.

The Washington State Supreme Court Gender and Justice Commission releases the results of its extensive study of gender, race, and other disparities in Washington State’s court and carceral systems. The report covers topics ranging from youth to adults, from civil to criminal, and from one’s ability to access the courts to one’s legal, financial, family, and health impacts of conviction and incarceration at the end of a case. The report also provides recommendations on how to address the problems identified.

For additional information, please see the attached press release and Fact Sheet, and access the 2021 Gender Justice Study Final Report, Executive Summary, and five pilot project reports on the Gender and Justice Commission webpage.

We invite you to share this report widely. Please email commissions@courts.wa.gov with ideas for how we can increase the reach of this important new research, for speaking engagements, and to partner with us to accomplish the report’s recommendations.

Thank you for your support,

Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud and Dr. Dana Raigrodski, Co-Chairs

2021 Gender Justice Study