Judges of Color Panel

Come listen to, learn from, and network with our invited panel of judges representing different ethnicities and backgrounds at USF Law's annual Judges of Color event! This year's theme is "Resilience in Our Roots." Draw inspiration from their stories as they discuss their encounters and experiences as a person of color in the judicial system.

Speakers and Agenda

Featured Judges:
Hon. Benjamin Reyes II - Superior Court of California, Contra Costa County
Hon. Nahal Iravani-Sani - Superior Court of California, Santa Clara County
Hon. Charles E. Wilson II - California Court of Appeal, Sixth District
Hon. Lupe Garcia - Superior Court of California, Alameda County
Hon. Dorothy Chou Proudfoot - San Francisco Rent Board
Hon. Sheila Lichtblau - Superior Court of California, Marin County

Agenda

6:00-6:10 PM - Introduction and Opening Remarks

6:10-7:30 PM - Panel Moderated by Judge Lynn Duryee

7:30-7:55 PM - Breakout Rooms with Judges

7:55-8:00 PM - Closing

Additional Resources

American Bar Association - Standing Committee on Diversity in the Judiciary
Created in 1987, the Standing Committee on Diversity in the Judiciary, presents CLEs and student outreach programs dedicated to fostering a diverse judiciary. Check out the Judicial Division Diversity Action Plan and the Committee's work and projects here.
American Constitution Society - Diversity of the Federal Bench
Current analysis on the gender and racial diversity of the Article III courts, using statistics from the Federal Judicial Center.
Brennan Center for Justice - Judicial Diversity: A Resource Page
The Brennan Center, an independent, nonpartisan law and policy organization, presents "Judicial Diversity: A Resource Page", a comprehensive guide featuring resources from the Brennan Center, law review articles and scholarship, and government information sources that describe the current state of diversity on our state and federal courts; identify best practices to promote diversity; and explain current obstacles to achieving that diversity.
California Judicial Branch - Pathways to Achieving Judicial Diversity
Pathways is a collaborative toolkit presented by the California Judicial Council; Advisory Committee on Access and Fairness; and the State Bar of California's Council on Access and Fairness. It features information on local court partnerships; judicial pipeline programming; mentorship programs; model seminars; and information on its annual Judicial Diversity Summit.
Federal Judicial Center - Diversity on the Bench
The Federal Judicial Center (FJC) presents a list of cuttent and former federal judges across demographic categories, including race(s), ethnicity, and gender.

Select Scholarship

Pluralism in America: Why Judicial Diversity Improves Legal Decisions About Political Morality
By Joy Milligan, New York University Law Review, 2006
Race and the Judiciary
By Harry T. Edwards,Yale Law & Policy Review, 2002
Representation on the Courts? The Effects of Trial Judge's Sex and Race
By Christina L. Boyd, Political Research Quarterly, 2016
Critical Race Theory and Feminist Legal Theory: Perspectives on Transformation of the Judiciary
By Hayley C. Warring, Pretoria Student Law Review (South Africa), 2020
Diversifying the Judiciary: The Influence of Gender and Race on Judging
By Susan Moloney Smith, University of Richmond Law Review, 1994