Three of the nine Justices sitting on the Supreme Court are women. There are 82 women of color serving as active federal judges across the country. And approximately 33% percent of active United States district court judges are women. The Women’s Foundation of Palm Beach County wants to empower more women to seek judicial office. To make this happen, the Women’s Foundation is launching a new series called Women on the Bench to train women how to seek judicial appointments and run for open judicial seats.
“The Women’s Foundation works every day to empower women and girls to be leaders so they can change the world,” said Judith Selzer, Co-Founder and President of the Women’s Foundation of PBC. “The Women on the Bench program is our path to ensuring women and girls are visible, valued and heard within the judicial system.”
The inaugural event to the Women on the Bench series is being hosted by the law firm Carlton Fields. Carlton Fields has embraced diversity and inclusion for decades. Most recently the firm topped every other law firm in the country for overall diversity and diversity for minorities, women, LGBT, and the disabled. This is the sixth time in the last seven years that the Vault Guide to Law Firms has ranked the firm as the best in the country for diversity.
“Carlton Fields is proud to support the Women’s Foundation and its Women on the Bench initiative,” said Carlton Fields Shareholder Sarah Cortvriend. “A diverse court is more likely to better represent the interests of our diverse community, further equality of opportunity, enhance the court’s legitimacy, and strengthen the rule of law.”
The June 24 Women on the Bench kickoff event will feature a dynamic panel of expertswho will share strategies to help women navigate the road to judicial service. Panelists include Circuit Judge Samantha Schosberg Feuer, Circuit Judge Sheree Davis Cunningham, lawyer Michelle Suskauer, and campaign consultant Rick Asnani.
“We need smart, educated women on the bench to serve as role models for not only our daughters and granddaughters, but also for our sons and grandsons.” said Circuit Judge Samantha Schosberg Feuer. “The face of the bench is changing more each day to reflect different genders, ages, races and ethnicities.”
The June 24 Women on the Bench program is co-sponsored by the Palm Beach County Hispanic Bar Association, F. Malcolm Cunningham Sr. Bar Association, and both the South Palm Beach County and Palm Beach County Florida Association for Women Lawyers Chapters.
EVENT
WHAT: Women on the Bench Workshop & Kickoff Event
WHEN: Friday, June 24, 2016 from 3:00 to 5:30pm
WHERE: Carlton Fields, 525 Okeechobee Blvd. Suite 1200 in West Palm Beach
COST: Free, but space is limited