A Message from NAWJ President
Hon. Fernande (Nan) R.V. Duffly
Dear members and friends,
First, and most important, I want to call your attention to the fact that the Executive Director Search Committee has met and prepared the Notice that has been reproduced elsewhere in this update -- please send this to anyone you think might be an excellent candidate to serve NAWJ in this capacity.
Much of NAWJ’s activity this month was focused on the Midwestern Regional conference in Chicago, but as amazing as that event was (and it was, see below), that was not all NAWJ did in August.
NAWJ was seemingly everywhere at the ABA Annual Meeting held August 7-13 in New York City. We co-sponsored, and in many cases participated on, several wonderful educational programs and I was there to cheer (and give flowers) when an impressive number of our members received coveted ABA awards: Pat Wald received the ABA Medal (the ABA’s highest award); three judges, Linda Murnane (whose superb speech was the talk of the day), Ruth Cooper Berg and Ann Williams received the ABA’s highest award to women, the Margaret Brent Award; Deanell Reece Tacha received the Judicial Division’s distinguished John Marshall Award at a ceremony, attended by NAWJ President-Elect La Tia Martin, which also honored Judith Kaye; the prestigious Thurgood Marshall Award was bestowed on Nancy Gertner with a rousing intro by Dru Ramey; and Ellen Rosenblum received the Nelson Award from the ABA Government and Public Sector Lawyers’ Division.
The two panels on which I participated--"Creation, Retention and Promotion of Women Leaders" and "Women on the Bench: Looking Back, Looking Forward"-- were both well received, and gave me the chance to discuss issues about which I, and NAWJ, are passionate-- the problem of attrition in the profession, and the failure to advance women and minorities to leadership positions.
Following the ABA Conference, I flew directly to the beautiful Miami home of Rosemary Barkett, who hosted a wonderful dinner at which I was pleased to speak about NAWJ to women judges from the state and federal bench. Of the nearly thirty in attendance, seven became members on the spot. From Miami I flew to Virginia to attend the meeting of our Virginia Chapter during an annual judicial conference. This is a well-organized, energetic group that accomplishes a tremendous amount each year. I also had dinner with a wonderful group that included Virginia Chapter president Alotha Willis and our active member (and current AJA president) Eileen Olds. I met many more great Virginia judges during a reception; and took a walk along the beach with a hardy few at 5:30 AM., a stunning experience of camaraderie and the sight of two dozen arching dolphins back-lit by a wonderful sunrise.
Back in Massachusetts, District One members helped organize events for a delegation of members of the legal profession from Iraq that included a tour of our Women's Prison, a presentation by Harvard Law’s Professor Charles Ogletree about capital punishment; and a lunch colloquium during which international law professors discussed human rights issues of mutual concern. District One also co-hosted a reception for the delegation.
To cap this incredible month, NAWJ held the most well-attended regional conference in its history-- the Midwestern Leadership Conference in Chicago. Conference co-chairs Cheryl Cesario, Jane Craney and Sophia Hall put on an incredible event, with three outstanding educational panels presented to record crowds. Two of these programs were co-sponsored by our frequent partner, the American Judicature Society (AJS), one of which (“Ethics Jeopardy”) was moderated by AJA President Gordon Doerfer. Thoughtful and perceptive remarks by Scott Turow were also a highlight of the Conference. The riveting focus of the event, of course, was the Keynote Speech by our great friend Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg delivered at a luncheon attended by over 370 people, thanks in large part to the extraordinary work of the Chicago Friends Committee co-chaired by Leslie Davis, Linda Listrom, Kathy Roach and Lisa Tchen. Scholarship Committee co-chairs Jackie Lustig and Nina Puglia presented the first-ever Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to DePaul University law student Allegra Cira. The two receptions could not have been more spectacular - one for the food and the views in the building where Susan Fox Gillis makes her home, and the other for Justice Ginsburg's attendance with her family and her wonderful offer to engage in a wide-ranging “conversation” with me and the assembled judges.
We have been informed by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) that their Board has responded favorably to our proposal (presented in collaboration with the Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts, and endorsed by leading law schools across the country, as well as Morrison & Forster, WilmerHale and Ropes & Gray) that NALP collect attrition information broken down by gender and race from law firms. The NAWJ Task Force I convened last year sees this as a significant piece in the multifaceted approach necessary to addressing the problem of attrition of women and from law firms. It was most heartening to hear directly from Executive Director Jim Leipold that the general consensus at the NALP Board meeting was that it is important to provide attrition/retention data to law students. After consideration at its Board of Directors meeting last month, NALP has agreed to form a work group to determine how to collect and report attrition data in relation to race and gender, which we understand is the best possible outcome we could have achieved at this stage. Other aspects of our proposal were also adopted and the National Law Journal reported our achievements in its recent issue.
I am now in Hawaii, representing NAWJ at the ALJ Annual Meeting, and, thanks to the wonderful support and organizational skills of Simone Pollack and Chief Justice Ron Moon and his staff, I will be attending a September 10th reception kindly hosted by Chief Justice Moon at his court. Aloha!
Nan Duffly
National Association of Women Judges
Job Announcement
POSITION: Executive Director, National Association of Women Judges
Date: September 1, 2008
Close of Applications: October 11, 2008
The National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) is a 1,250-member voluntaryassociation which serves as a leading voice for federal, state, military, administrative and tribal jurists at all levels of the judiciary dedicated to ensuring a diverse, fair and impartial judiciary and equal access to the courts for women, minorities and other historically disfavored groups. NAWJ actively works to preserve judicial independence, to provide cutting-edge judicial education programs in areas essential to equal justice, to increase the numbers and advancement of women and minority judges at all levels of the judiciary, and to provide opportunities for collegial interchange and support.
The Executive Director is the Chief Executive Officer of NAWJ, reporting to the Board of Directors and serving as its primary agent. She/he is responsible for the supervision of all employees and operations, and is charged with working with the Board to provide the vision, leadership and strategic planning for all programs of NAWJ andraising the funds to support them, bymaintaining and augmenting NAWJ’s Landmark Sponsor Program, identifying and securing large corporate, foundation and government grants, and acting as the key liaisontothe Resource Board. Together with the volunteer leadership and the COO,the Executive Director is responsible for providing the outreach, recruiting and services necessary to maintain and increase NAWJ’s membership, with a particular emphasis on sectors currently underrepresented amongthe members, while continuously executing the organization’s strategic plan over the successive years.
The Executive Director also will focus on raising awareness of the Association within the judiciary and the general public; working closely with the Board of Directors, she/he will conceptualize, initiate and implement new substantive programs in aid of the organization’s mission, while helping to further develop, modify, augment and actualize NAWJ goals.
RESPONSIBILITIES
• Overall supervision of NAWJ staff, operations, programs, activities and membership maintenance and development efforts
•Development, augmentation, supervision, national presentation and evaluation of existing and new substantiveprograms
• In conjunction with theBoard of Directors, development, implementation, monitoring and revision of theannual budget, ensuring that appropriate financial filings, reports, audits and other financial administration is properly completed
• Primary responsibility for developing and maintaining external sources of funding necessary to support and expand the programs of the Association, including support for and augmentation of the Landmark Sponsor Program and Resource Board; researching, applying for and securing foundation and government grants, and augmenting dues income
• Reporting and making presentations to the Board of Directors and Executive Committee
• In conjunction with the NAWJ leadership, helping to establish and nourish collaborations between NAWJ and other women in other branches of government, as well as organizations sharing the organization’s mission and goals
• Coordinating all external public relations, marketing and public appearances to represent, maintain and enhance the Association’s position and reputation as a leader in the judicial community, including public appearances and speaking, oversight and coordination of all media relations and hard-copy and electronic communications vehicles, such as newsletters, the Annual Report, electronic updates and the website
• Coordinating, organizing, and ensuring the appropriate funding for all special events
• Performing other duties as needed
QUALIFICATIONS
We are seeking candidates with the following qualifications:
• Five or more years as Executive Director, Senior Director or related administrate experience in several of the administrative areas and at the highest level of an organization
• Bachelors degree; a law degree (JD) is highly desirable but not necessary as is background in law, judicial education and/or court management.
• Proven track record in fundraising from diverse sources, with a strategic approach and significant experience in cultivating and managing donors
• Excellent written and oral communications skills; adept at writing proposals, substantive position papers, press releases, solicitation letters, donor correspondence, and other kinds of material to enhance Association’s profile with the judiciary and the public, as well as its fundraising potential
• Experience in organization design and development
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with and gain the respect and support of varied and changing constituencies including staff members, board members, members of the judiciary, potential donors, volunteers and the like
• Computer literate; knowledge of Microsoft Office and/or the adaptability to learn database software
Location:
The NAWJ offices are based in Washington DC.
Competitive salary and excellent benefits offered.
NAWJ is strongly committed to diversity and encourages applications from people who can contribute to our diversity, including ethnic and racial minorities, members of the LGBT community and persons with disabilities.
To Apply:
Please send cover letter, resume and salary requirements to:
NAWJ
Attn: Executive Director Search
1341 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Email: (all e-mails must include both a cover letter and resume, and preferably should be followed with a hard copy of each.)
Fax: (202) 393-0125
Invitation to Join People-to-People trip to South Africa
Trip led by Judge Ellen Rosenblum this November
NAWJ member Judge Ellen Rosenblum, chair of the NAWJ 30th Annual Conference in Portland this October, is also leading a People-to-People trip delegation of lawyers and judges to Johannesburg and Capetown, South Africa this November 10 - 19 with an "add-on" to the Kruger National Game Park from the 19th to the 22nd. She has several slots remaining in the delegation, which is a small group (about 15-20) that will participate in unique professional meetings as well as many cultural and sightseeing activities. One of the highlights will be having the chance to meet and visit with some of the women judges featured in the recently premiered film, Courting Justice, a story of the justice system in South Africa told from the point of view of six South African women judges. If you think you might be interested in going along on the trip please contact Ellen directly at or at 503/986-5665 right away! The cost of the trip, including travel (from New York) is approximately $6,000, not including the game park "add-on."
NAWJ 30TH ANNIVERSARY ANNUAL CONFERENCE
"Keeping The Promise………"
October 15-19, 2008
Have You Made Your Hotel Reservation?
Lodging – Only a few rooms remain in our block!
Rooms at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront have been guaranteed at the single rate of $163.00 (city view) or $183.00 (water view) plus tax, single or double occupancy. For reservations, call 1-800-228-9290 and state that you are with the National Association of Women Judges. Reservations must be made on or before September 26, 2008, to guarantee the conference rate (subject to availability).
Draft Agenda – Subject to Change:
KEEPING THE PROMISE
Schedule of Events
Wednesday, October 15, 2008Noon - 5:30 / registration
Noon - 4:00 / NAWJ Board Luncheon and Meeting
4:30 - 5:30 / New Members Welcome Reception
5:30 - 7:30 / General Welcome Reception (Sponsored by Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund)
7:30 - 9:30 / Movie screening of “Holly”
This captivating and emotional film is sponsored by LexisNexis® in its effort to help combat and raise awareness of the epic problem of child prostitution and to promote the Rule of Law.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
7:30 - 5:00 / registration
7:30 - 8:30 / continental breakfast
8:30 - 9:15 / Opening Session
Introduction: Honorable Ellen F. Rosenblum
Oregon Court of Appeals
Conference Chair
Welcome: Honorable Paul J. De Muniz
Chief Justice
Oregon Supreme Court
Honorable Mary M. Schroeder
Former Chief Judge
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
President’s Report: Honorable Fernande R.V. Duffly
Massachusetts Appeals Court
9:15-10:30 / Keeping the Promise of the Rule of Law
Moderator: Susan M. Hammer
Dispute Resolution Services, Portland, Oregon
Panelists: Honorable Bernice Bouie Donald
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
Professor Margaret Levi
Jere L. Bacharach Professor of International Studies,
Department of Political Science, University of Washington
Honorable M. Margaret McKeown
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Norman Sepenuk
Norman Sepenuk PC, Portland, Oregon
Criminal defense lawyer at the International Criminal Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia at The Hague
10:30 - 10:45 / break
10:45 – Noon / Breakout A:
Effective Communication with the Media
Moderator:
Honorable Jean Kerr Maurer
Presiding Judge, Multnomah County Circuit Court, Portland, Oregon
Panelists:
Sherry Lee Alexander, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, School of Mass Communication Loyola University
New Orleans, Louisiana
Robert H. Alsdorf
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Seattle, Washington
Charles F. Hinkle
Stoel Rives LLP
Portland, Oregon / Breakout B:
Creative Problem Solving in Administrative Hearings
Moderator:
Honorable Margaret A. Mangan
D.C. Office of Administrative Hearings
Panelists:
Honorable Carol Feinman
New York Office of Temporary Disability Assistance
Brooklyn, New York
Honorable Jennifer Gee
U.S. Department of Labor
San Francisco, California
Honorable Marjorie Rasmussen
Administrative Hearings Bureau, California Department of Insurance
San Francisco, California
Judge J. E. Sullivan
U.S. Social Security Administration
Morgantown, West Virginia
Judge Brian O. Watkins
Washington Office of Administrative Hearings
Olympia, Washington / Breakout C:
NAWJ New Judge Program
Moderator:
Honorable Rosemary Barkett
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Panelists:
Honorable Sharon Gleason
Superior Court Judge
Anchorage, Alaska
Honorable Tanya Kennedy
New York Supreme Court
New York, New York
Honorable Patricia Sullivan
Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
Noon -1:45 / Luncheon
Keynote Speaker: Donzaleigh Abernathy: “A Personal Perspective on the Civil Rights Movement”
Donzaleigh Abernathy is the daughter of Reverend Ralph David Abernathy, who co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This organization was a leading force in the American Civil Rights Movement. Her presentation will provide personal insights into the lifelong relationship between her father and his closest friend.
1:45 - 2:00 / break
2:00 - 3:15 / Breakout A:
Beyond the Bars: A Practical Guide to Planning a Program for Your Local Women's Prison
Moderator:
Honorable Vanessa Ruiz
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Panelists:
Honorable Dana Fabe
Chief Justice
Alaska Supreme Court
Honorable Julie E. Frantz
Multnomah County Circuit Court,
Portland, Oregon
Honorable Brenda P. Murray
Chief Administrative Law Judge
Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, D.C.
Honorable Cathy H. Serrette
Circuit Court for Prince George’s County,
Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Honorable Betty J. Williams
Kings County Criminal Court,
Brooklyn, New York / Breakout B:
Modern Tribal Courts: Multi-Jurisdictional Approaches to Shared Legal Challenges
Moderator:
Honorable Susan Owens
Washington Supreme Court
Panelists:
Honorable Lisa Atkinson
Chief Judge of the Port Gamble Tribe
Edmonds, Washington
Edmund C. Goodman
Hobbs Straus Dean & Walker LLP
Portland, Oregon
Honorable Teresa Pouley
Tulalip Nation
Bellingham, Washington
Honorable Mark Pouley
Chief Judge of the Swinomish Tribe
La Connor, Washington
3:15 – 3:30 / break
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