President's Message

his issue of Counterbalance will arrive as we emerge from more than a year of the pandemic. What does that mean? It means a new way of doing business for most courts, law firms, mediators, agencies and other justice partners. I hope that it also means that you are all able to travel this summer and that we can again begin to meet in person. Our districts and committees have been as active as ever, if not more so. Committee chairs and District Directors attended the midyear board meeting and reported on the tremendous amount of work that they have undertaken this year. All of you continue to inspire me with your selfless leadership and commitment.

We continue to speak out on issues of importance. Just a few examples: The Women in Prison Committee met earlier this year with the Bureau of Prison Director Carvajal and several members of his staff regarding such topics as deficiencies in health care, programming, release preparation and family visits.

NAWJ continues to speak out on issues concerning judicial appointments and diversity on the bench. The most recent letter addressing this was sent to President Joe Biden in March, urging him to nominate women and judges of diverse backgrounds to the U.S. District Court for Western Washington. NAWJ will continue to advocate for this because we know that judges serving in our courts must reflect the demographics of our society in order to instill trust and confidence in our justice system and in order to strengthen the principle of procedural fairness.

Several Districts have hosted virtual Color of Justice programs this year. This August marks the 20th anniversary of the signature program created by Judge Brenda Stith Loftin. The enduring popularity of this program underscores the importance of our message that young women and diverse youth will enhance the legal community, and our nation, with their talents, intelligence and unique perspectives. Many thanks to Judge Loftin for her creativity and vision in creating this incredible program and to those of you who continue her legacy. after the country marks the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death. NAWJ joined the chorus of voices speaking out against racial inequality and inequity and has continued the conversations necessary to bring about change. We have held three educational sessions on racial inequity, with a fourth in the planning stages. I participated in the NJC Racial Justice Roundtable on February 25th and will participate, with President-Elect Elizabeth White in the Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators Blueprint for Racial Justice. Under the leadership of Commissioner Pennie McLaughlin and Judge Pam Washington, we have outlined a mammoth project to gather data and educate our judges and communities about racial disparities in the judicial system. We are awaiting word on our grant application for this important initiative.

The work of NAWJ has continued – and even prospered given the connectivity that technology has introduced - but I miss the ability to host events in person. I believe that is about to change thanks to vaccinations and the lessening of restrictions. I look forward to being able to travel to NAWJ events as frequently as past presidents have done. At a minimum, I’m booking my airline travel to Nashville and hope to see you there.

Warm regards,

President