This program will bring together judges, lawyers and others who are interested in increasing diversity within the judiciary. The program will address the difficult and complex issues confronted by gays and lesbians who aspire to become judges at all levels of the judiciary through the elected, appointed, and nominations process.
Speakers: Judge Gary Cohen , Judge Jodi Levine , Judge George Silver , Judge Linda Giles , Judge D. Zeke Zeidler , Judge Theodore Weathers , Judge Larnzell Martin , Judge James L. Warren
The Judiciary
Who Gets to Judge Us?: The Impact of Judicial Appointments and Elections on LGBT Litigation
This panel will examine state judicial elections and the federal judicial selection process as they relate to LGBT litigation. At the state level, panelists will discuss the recent extremist trend toward “voter questionnaires” for judges running for office. At the federal level, experts on the panel will discuss how appointed judges voted in crucial LGBT decisions, and how individuals and nonprofits can affect the congressional politics that will determine the future composition of the courts, and, potentially, the outcome of future LGBT litigation. The panel will also discuss tools in the courtroom for attorneys seeking to ensure unbiased treatment of their LGBT clients by judicial officers and opposing counsel.
Speakers: Hilary Meyer , Doug Lakey, Marybeth Herald , Tara Borelli