Right now, the U.S. Senate is preparing for the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. Her nomination alone has been cause to celebrate for many women who practice law, but the story doesn't stop there. Attorneys and judges in our state say the Kagan nomination could have a big impact on the future of women in law, or any career.
If Elena Kagan is confirmed, the U.S. Supreme Court would have three women on it for the first time in history. That's a history our state knows very well. Seven years ago, we were the first in the U.S. to have five women State Supreme Court justices, a majority. Our state's Chief Justice, Barbara Madsen, tells me the Kagan nomination could affect all of us, women and men.
Chief Justice Barbara Madsen handles complex cases every day on the State Supreme Court. But ask her why diversity on the bench and the entire legal profession is important, and the reply is simple. "You're going to get a better answer," says Madsen. "So much of what we know is based upon our experience, and so much of our experience is based upon who we are, whether we're women, whether we're men, black or white. All of that matters."
The issue matters a lot to Washington Women Lawyers, too. It's an advocacy group that celebrates that 30% of the judges in our state are women, including 44% of the Supreme Court and 45% of the State Court of Appeals. But when it comes to earning that partnership at a big law firm, many women say they're still up against a glass ceiling. Jessica Skelton of Washington Women Lawyers says, "While I think we've certainly seen some cracks in that glass ceiling, it's something that we as an organization are striving to make sure that ceiling continues to break."
Chief Justice Madsen is working to that goal as well. Through the Gender and Justice Commission, she's worked to create the Initiative for Diversity for our state's law firms. Chief Justice Madsen, a mother of four, wants to make sure men and women don't have to sacrifice having a family for their job. She says, "I would like to see law firms and the legal profession in general recognize that and accommodate that, so that we can all live as full human beings and not having to choose between having a life and having a career."
For more on the Kagan hearings, follow this link. For more information on Washington women lawyers, click here.
If Elena Kagan is confirmed, the U.S. Supreme Court would have three women on it for the first time in history. That's a history our state knows very well. Seven years ago, we were the first in the U.S. to have five women State Supreme Court justices, a majority. Our state's Chief Justice, Barbara Madsen, tells me the Kagan nomination could affect all of us, women and men.
Chief Justice Barbara Madsen handles complex cases every day on the State Supreme Court. But ask her why diversity on the bench and the entire legal profession is important, and the reply is simple. "You're going to get a better answer," says Madsen. "So much of what we know is based upon our experience, and so much of our experience is based upon who we are, whether we're women, whether we're men, black or white. All of that matters."
The issue matters a lot to Washington Women Lawyers, too. It's an advocacy group that celebrates that 30% of the judges in our state are women, including 44% of the Supreme Court and 45% of the State Court of Appeals. But when it comes to earning that partnership at a big law firm, many women say they're still up against a glass ceiling. Jessica Skelton of Washington Women Lawyers says, "While I think we've certainly seen some cracks in that glass ceiling, it's something that we as an organization are striving to make sure that ceiling continues to break."
Chief Justice Madsen is working to that goal as well. Through the Gender and Justice Commission, she's worked to create the Initiative for Diversity for our state's law firms. Chief Justice Madsen, a mother of four, wants to make sure men and women don't have to sacrifice having a family for their job. She says, "I would like to see law firms and the legal profession in general recognize that and accommodate that, so that we can all live as full human beings and not having to choose between having a life and having a career."
For more on the Kagan hearings, follow this link. For more information on Washington women lawyers, click here.
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