Craving even more insight on career opportunities in the legal field? The women recently spoke at the When There are Nine conference at the University of Charleston in West Virginia, an event designed as a ‘for women, by women’ conversation for those considering a career in the law.
Listen in as the justices discuss formative experiences that inspired them to enter the legal profession, including being a witness to domestic violence. The women also discuss the diverse career possibilities for lawyers that go beyond the typical courtroom scenario we often see on television.
This episode marks the first time that the justices, who are from different states, have recorded the podcast together in person.
The conference title is a tribute to the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who famously said, 'When I'm sometimes asked 'When will there be enough [women on the Supreme Court]?' and I say 'When there are nine,' people are shocked. But there'd been nine men, and nobody's ever raised a question about that."
So come along with us to the conference and take a seat. We’re glad you’re here!
On this episode, the Lady Justices share their insight on how to succeed in law school based on listener questions that we received from students through social media and on our podcast voicemail. Joining the program is special guest Justice Carla Wong McMillian (shown right) of the Georgia Supreme Court.
In this Season 2 opener, we're once again celebrating Constitution Day! The justices discuss timely issues around state constitutions, like redistricting after the recent census. The women also discuss the most recent amendments to the constitutions in their states. Plus, what happens when states interpret the same general language in their constitutions differently? All that explained on this episode about why constitutions matter.
Being a state Supreme Court justice is about much more than writing opinions on important cases. Justices are also responsible for overseeing the court system in their state.
Part of this usually involves finding a passion and trying to affect change where they think it’s needed, whether that’s working to help children in foster care, studying the reasons behind an ever-growing prison population, or trying to keep their colleagues safe when job stress and substance abuse seems to be affecting their ability to best serve the public.
The women were recently invited to speak at the Arkansas Bar Association’s annual conference, where they discussed this and other topics, like technology in the court.
This is the last episode of Season 1. We'll return with Season 2 in September!
In some countries, Supreme Courts write an opinion as a whole court. After all, the law is the law and there should be one unified interpretation of it, right? Well, that’s not how things operate in the Unites States. Court decisions recognize openly that the law is not always clear and certain.
A justice can write a dissent to explain why they think the majority got it wrong or a concurrence, meaning they agree with the Court’s decision but not necessarily the steps to getting there. The lady justices discuss the process, which is also known as writing separately.
For years, lawyers have struggled with issues like depression, anxiety, and substance abuse at a rate higher than the general population. The women discuss how, historically, there’s been a hands-off approach by the profession to addressing these issues, but that this is changing in some big ways.
We hear from a national expert, Bree Buchanan, who is leading a movement toward recognizing the many benefits of assisting lawyers, law students, and judges with mental health and substance abuse issues and the high cost of turning a blind eye. Plus, the justices share thoughts on promoting civility.
Episode Resources:
The Path To Lawyer Well-Being
The Prevalence of Substance Use and Other Mental Health Concerns Among American Attorneys
Stress and Resiliency in the U.S. Judiciary
Where Are We on the Path to Law Student Well-Being?
In this episode, the justices examine the lives of women legal crusaders you may not have heard about. Also, the latest numbers are out about the state of women in law firms, which calls for a discussion examining why it might be that women go to law school at the same rate as men yet there remains a significant lack of women in law firm leadership.
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On this episode, examining the female figure that has become the moral face of the court system: Lady Justice. We see statues of Lady Justice in courthouses across America - the scales, the blindfold, the sword. The women discuss what the imagery means to them personally after some reflection and scholarly reading.
We’ll also hear from Yale Law School professor and author Judith Resnik, who has spent years studying the history of Lady Justice and the various ways she is portrayed throughout the world. And, it’s a new year and that means new female faces on our nation’s state courts! We’ll introduce you to some of them. Read the rest of this entry »
Most Supreme Court cases are decided based on written briefs submitted by attorneys. But sometimes the Court grants oral argument in a case and attorneys have the opportunity to speak directly to the justices in the courtroom. Justices generally know where they stand going in to oral argument. Can oral argument be so effective it changes the mind of a justice and the outcome of a case?
The women take questions during a virtual event by the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists.
The women take questions during a virtual event by the Women’s Chapter of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. Topics include women in leadership and balancing a high-demand career with the responsibilities of motherhood. Plus, holiday memories and good reads!
