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Webinar: Pathways to the Bench: The Journey to Judgeship as a Woman of Color – In Honor of Black History Month
Each day, judges are charged with making decisions that impact the livelihoods and rights of the litigants appearing before them. Many people have declared that it is of utmost importance that the judiciary reflects the population it serves, and that diversity on the bench is essential to instill confidence in the system. While positive efforts have been made to diversify courts, there is still ample room for improvement.
In honor of Black History Month, please join the Federal Bar Association’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and the National Association of Women Judges as they offer a program to highlight and chronicle the career path of three diverse lawyers who were successful in their journey to take a seat on the bench. This webinar will feature insights and guidance on how the panelists navigated the judicial selection process and constantly grapple with the impact of their decisions in the American legal system.
Co-Sponsored by:
FBA’s Diversity & Inclusion Standing Committee &
The National Association of Women Judges
[Registration has closed]
Presenters
Panelists for the Session:
Hon. Nannette Jolivette Brown, Chief Judge, United States Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
Chief Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown was nominated to the United States Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana by President Barack Obama and after the United States Senate confirmed her nomination by unanimous consent, she began active service on October 5, 2011. She is the first African American woman to be appointed as a federal court judge in the state of Louisiana’s over 200 year history. She was elevated to Chief Judge on May 25, 2018. She is the first African American to ever serve as Chief Judge in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
In November 2020, Chief Judge Jolivette Brown was appointed by Chief Justice John Roberts to serve on the Judicial Conference of the United States Standing Committee on Financial Disclosure. She is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the ABA National Conference of Federal Trial Judges and the Executive Committee of the Federal Judges Association. She also serves as the chair of membership for the Federal Judges Association. She is a Past President of the New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and the Association of Women Attorneys.
Just prior to her appointment to the United States District Court, Chief Judge Jolivette Brown was Deputy Mayor and City Attorney for the City of New Orleans. Prior to that, she was a Partner with the firm of Chaffe McCall, LLP, where she had a varied practice in commercial and environmental litigation, as well as in real estate law and other transactional matters. She has also taught courses at Tulane Law School, Loyola College of Law, and Southern University Law Center.
She has been married to Marcus V. Brown for over 31 years, and they have two adult children.
Hon. J. Michelle Childs, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
Judge J. Michelle Childs was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in July 2022. She holds her undergraduate degree in Management from the University of South Florida Honors College, a law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law, a Masters in Personnel and Employment Relations from the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business, a Masters of Judicial Studies from Duke University School of Law, and an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Public Service from the University of South Carolina.
From 1992 to 2000, Judge Childs worked at Nexsen Pruet, ultimately serving as partner. From 2000 to 2002, Judge Childs was appointed to serve as the Deputy Director for the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation’s Division of Labor. From 2002 to 2006, Judge Childs received another appointment to serve as a commissioner on the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission. In 2006, the South Carolina General Assembly elected her as a state circuit court judge. During that time, Judge Childs served as chief administrative judge for the General Sessions, which is South Carolina’s criminal court, and as chief administrative judge for the state’s business court. In 2010, she was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina until her appointment to the D.C. Circuit.
Judge Childs is active with various local, state, and national bar organizations, as well as community organizations. She is the President-elect of the Federal Judges Association, a former Chair of the American Bar Association’s Judicial Division, and a former Secretary of the American Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section. She serves as a fellow with the American Bar Association’s Litigation Section and its Committee on the American Judicial System. Judge Childs is also a member of the American Law Institute, having served as an Advisor to the Restatement (Third) of Employment Law, and is currently a member of its Council. Judge Childs is also a Council Member for the American Bar Association’s Administrative Law Section. She joins the class of 2022 Rodel Judicial Fellows. Additionally, Judge Childs will serve on the 2023 Bolch Judicial Institute (BJI) Advisory Board.
Hon. Toni E. Clarke (Ret.), Circuit Court, Prince George’s County, Maryland; President, National Association of Women Judges
Judge Toni E. Clarke (Ret) served as Associate Judge of the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County Maryland, Seventh Judicial Circuit from February 6, 1998, until taking senior status on September 1, 2018. During her tenure Judge Clarke presided over many types of cases including, but not limited to, Civil, Criminal, Foreclosure, Family and Juvenile. Judge Clarke is currently a Neutral and Arbitrator with The McCammon Group, serving Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia.
Judge Clarke received her J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law (now University of Maryland Frances Carey Law School), Class of 1986, and her B.S. from The Pennsylvania State University, Class of 1979, where she played on the Women’s Varsity Basketball team. Prior to her appointment, Judge Clarke practiced law in both the public and private sector. Among her many professional accomplishments, Judge Clarke was the first African American female to serve as State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County, Maryland, and in the State of Maryland.
Judge Clarke is very active in and has held leadership positions in the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ), and the Maryland State Bar Association; and is a former President of the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association, and the first African-American to serve as President of both the Women’s Bar Association of Maryland and the Prince George’s County Bar Association.
Judge Clarke is currently President of the National Association of Women Judges (2022-2023 term), is a Past-Chair of the Judicial Division (JD) of the American Bar Association (ABA) and is a Past-Chair of the National Conference of State Trial Judges (NCSTJ) of the ABA. Judge Clarke has been on several committees of the NAWJ, having Chaired or Co-Chaired several committees and having served as District Director and in several officer positions. She has also served on several committees of the ABA, where she has been Chair or Co-Chair of committees of the NCSTJ and has Chaired or Co-Chaired of the Judicial Clerkship Program and the Standing Committee on Diversity in the Judiciary of the JD. She is currently a Delegate in the ABA’s House of Delegates, representing the NCSTJ, and is on the ABA’s Nominating Committee. On December 31, 2022, Judge Clarke concluded serving in her third term on the Board of Trustees of the National Judicial College, after having been initially appointed in July 2013.
Judge Clarke has been recognized by numerous organizations for her hard work, community involvement, and mentoring. Among other awards she has received are the Women’s Bar Association of Maryland’s Rita C. Davidson Award, the Maryland Daily Record’s 2004 Leadership in the Law Award, and the 2001 and 1999 Maryland Daily Record’s Maryland’s Top 100 Women.
Moderator:
Lisa Kpor, Chair, FBA Diversity & Inclusion Committee
Associate Attorney, Holland & Knight LLP
Lisa M. Kpor is a litigation attorney in the Chicago office of Holland & Knight LLP. Her litigation experience includes a broad range of legal issues, including shareholder oppression actions, financial services litigation, product liability disputes, and complex breach of contract suits. She currently serves as the Chair of the FBA’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Ms. Kpor is an accomplished attorney who has received several honors and awards for her contributions to the legal profession, including the Next Gen Emerging Millennial Leader Award from the Corporate Counsel Women of Color, the Rising Star Award from the National Immigrant Justice Center and an Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Registration Fees
- FBA Member: $0
- Nonmember: $0
Live Captioning: Closed captioning is available for all virtual webcasts.
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CLE
Please note CLE will not be offered for this event.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I access the virtual webinar?
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Q: Who do I contact for more information?
A: Please contact srigans@fedbar.org for any other questions.
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If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact Shaniece Rigans, Leadership Support and Board Specialist, at srigans@fedbar.org