SPRING 2020, Vol. 34, Issue 1 SPRING 2020 1 MISSION NAWJ’s mission is to promote the judicial role of protecting the rights of individuals under the rule of law through strong, committed, diverse judicial leadership; fairness and equality in the courts; and ON THE COVER 19 Channeling Sugar equal access to justice. Innovative Efforts to Improve Access to Justice through Global Judicial Leadership 21 Learning Lessons from Midyear Meeting in New Orleans addresses Tough Cases BOARD OF DIRECTORS ongoing challenges facing access to justice. Story on page 14 24 Life After the Bench: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The Honorable Sharon Mettler PRESIDENT 2 President's Message Hon. Bernadette D'Souza 26 Trial Advocacy Training for Parish of Orleans Civil District Court, Louisiana 2 Interim Executive Director's Women by Women Message PRESIDENT-ELECT 29 District News Hon. Karen Donohue 3 VP of Publications Message King County Superior Court, Seattle, Washington 51 District Directors & Committees 4 Q&A with Judge Ann Breen-Greco VICE PRESIDENT, DISTRICTS Co-Chair Human Trafficking 52 Sponsors Hon. Elizabeth A. White Committee Superior Court of California, Los Angeles County 54 New Members 5 Independent Immigration Courts VICE PRESIDENT, PUBLICATIONS Hon. Heidi Pasichow 7 Resource Board Profile Superior Court of the District of Columbia Cathy Winter-Palmer SECRETARY Hon. Orlinda Naranjo (ret.) 8 Global Judicial Leadership 419th District Court of Texas, Austin Doing the Impossible: NAWJ work with the Pan-American TREASURER Commission of Judges on Social Hon. Elizabeth K. Lee Rights Superior Court of California, San Mateo County IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT 11 Global Judicial Leadership Hon. Tamila E. Ipema To Africa,With Love! Superior Court of California, San Diego County 14 Midyear Meeting FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR Hon. Marcella Holland (ret.) 18 Reaching Out to All Our Constituents Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Baltimore Military & Veterans Committee PROJECTS COMMITTEE CHAIR Hon. Pennie McLaughlin COUNTERBALANCE is published by: Superior Court of California, San Diego County National Association of Women Judges 1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1138 Washington, D.C. 20036 STAFF Phone: 202 393 0222 INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Fax: 202 393 0125 E-mail: [email protected] Laurie Hein Denham, CAE Web: www.nawj.org SENIOR MANAGER, PROGRAMS AND PUBLICATIONS Lavinia Cousin OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Maureen Gelwicks MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR Janelle Mihoc SPRING 2020 2 President’s Message ear NAWJ Members, opportunities, and it was a great honor and pleasure to welcome U.S. District Court Judge Dana Sabraw this year. First, I want to express my sincere hope When we found ourselves in need of a keynote speaker on that each of you are safe and well in these short notice, Judge Sabraw stepped into the role to deliver challenging times. Your leadership and a powerful address to our attendees. My sincere thanks dedication are a credit to your communities, and I to Judge Sabraw for enriching our experience with your take heart in knowing each of you are undoubtedly words, a true highlight of our time together. sharing your knowledge and abilities with those who need it most. I remain in awe of the compassionate and Many of you volunteered your wisdom and expertise talented members of our organization. when scheduled panel participants were unable to join us, and I would like to thank you for your demonstrated While each of us experiences a rapidly changing and unwavering commitment to our mission and values global landscape, I wanted to take the opportunity to in doing so. Several participants throughout the week express my gratitude to you for joining at the NAWJ expressed their gratitude to NAWJ for the opportunity to 2020 Midyear Meeting here in New Orleans: Bringing learn and grow together, and I believe that our gathering I am proud to lead Access Into Harmony with Justice. I was humbled and offered much-needed inspiration and empowerment to all inspired by your presence and participation and am in attendance. our organization, grateful to each and every one of you that contributed and grateful for the to our successful gathering. Now more than ever, I am proud to lead our organization, and grateful for the community we have created. I hope that our experiences community we have community and compassion are of vital importance as we face uncharted territory together. and memories made at the NAWJ 2020 Midyear Meeting created. I hope that our continue to bolster your spirits in the year to come, as they Though current global challenges kept us on our have mine. Take good care, and I am excited to witness experiences and memories toes, the grace and adaptability demonstrated by our what we are all capable of next. made at the NAWJ 2020 facilitators and attendees ensured that our Midyear With warm regards, Midyear Meeting continue Meeting provided education, empowerment, and expansion of our legal community. As I reflect on the to bolster your spirits in experience, I am overwhelmed by the generosity of the year to come, spirit and perseverance demonstrated by our attendees Honorable Bernadette G. D’Souza as they have mine. and presenters. Thank you. Judge, Orleans Civil District Court President, NAWJ Our 2020 Midyear Meeting was full of unexpected Interim Executive Director Message ince this message was originally written your courts are operating as well as techniques you are for this issue of Counterbalance, we have using for your own self-care. continued to experience change in the way we live and work. We do not yet know what I am honored to serve you during this uncertain and “normal” will look like for us, but I do know how challenging time. The complexities you face are daunting. hard all the NAWJ members are working to provide The entire staff continues to seek and secure opportunities safe and equitable access to justice. As the “Leading for NAWJ. We are all deeply committed to caring for the Voice of Women in the Judiciary”, NAWJ is quickly health of the organization. I believe NAWJ will emerge yet strategically addressing the issues members have as a stronger and more cohesive community empowering prioritized. The COVID-19 Taskforce is working women at all levels of the judiciary. collaboratively with other NAWJ committees, to Stay safe and be well, provide valuable resources to members and to the greater judicial community. The Taskforce will be providing opportunities on both local and national Laurie Denham, CAE levels for each of you to discuss the innovative ways Interim Executive Director SPRING 2020 3 Vice President of Publications Message hank you to everyone who submitted informed and enlightened when we are most articles and reports for this Spring 2020 separate and disconnected. These challenges must issue of Counterbalance. We are especially not hinder our mission to protect rights, promote grateful this season, as we imagine many fairness, and to provide access to justice for all. of you are predominantly focused on your own well-being and that of your families, friends, and The NAWJ 2019-2024 Strategic Plan recognizes colleagues. We will strive to keep you well informed the importance of internal and external of our Association’s activities and the fine work and communications, with focus specifically on web contributions each of you makes toward the mission site improvements, consistent content, more of NAWJ. stories about members via new technologies, collaboration with outside organizations on We are looking forward to an exciting year for relevant articles, and the like. Counterbalance, Counterbalance. As we continue to work with and other NAWJ “publications,” can have our web design company, I expect that the two significant roles in fulfilling these goals and issues we publish this year will be lively and strategies, all toward keeping us connected and compelling both substantively and visually. In knowledgeable and educated about our activities addition, we hope to work on some new features locally and worldwide. Continue checking the that will make Counterbalance more accessible NAWJ web site and the NAWJ Monthly News and usable on the NAWJ web site, such as Counterbalance updates for announcements about webinars indexing and searching of all issues. scheduled through the summer on the pandemic is one of the NAWJ I am grateful to our NAWJ Staff Program and the courts. I hope you were able to attend resources that assists Manager, Lavinia Cousin, for her continuing the first webinar, Courts on the Front Line: with our staying “plugged excellent work on Counterbalance, and I am Providing Access to Justice While Protecting in” about the work of our enthusiastic by the new and future contributions Public Health During a Pandemic. in these efforts by Maureen Gelwicks, our new colleagues in the USA I am enjoying working with NAWJ Leadership, Operations Manager. I also expressly thank and abroad. This is an Laurie Denham, NAWJ’s Interim Executive Districts, Committees, Resource Board, and extraordinarily important Director for her sharp focus and management of each of you as members. Together we are making Counterbalance and other NAWJ year. There are profound our team effort. communication tools the go-to resources for the issues in the forefront Counterbalance is one of the NAWJ resources greater judiciary community. that assists with our staying “plugged in” about during this election cycle Honorable Heidi M. Pasichow the work of our colleagues in the USA and and the equally if not more Judge Superior Court of the District of Columbia abroad. This is an extraordinarily important Vice President of Publications NAWJ compelling health crisis. year. There are profound issues in the forefront during this election cycle including issues surrounding the compelling health crisis and the continued and the more recent escalation of law enforcement aggression toward minorities. Though the world is changing significantly, our mission remains focused and strong.