Do judges’ backgrounds affect their
decisions? Do judges from different backgrounds decide differently? Or is it
accurate, to paraphrase former Justice O'Connor’s famous statement, that a wise female
or minority judge will come to the same conclusion as a wise male judge? Are there
specific types of cases where it makes more or less of a difference? How do
women and minority judges experience diversity in the court (or the lack
thereof)? And how do litigants and attorneys feel about diversity on the
bench? In short, does diversity on the bench matter? And if so,
how do we achieve it?
Join us for a presentation and panel discussion that addresses these timely
issues. With five SJC appointments in the near future and many other openings on
the bench – and recent political discourse about judges’ race, gender,
ethnicity, and religion - these questions, and a fulsome exploration of the
answers, matter for anyone who litigates and/or cares about our judiciary.
This program is being co-sponsored by the Women's Bar Association.