Bench Report: The Pros of Judges Doing Public Outreach + Does Judicial Diversity Bring Clerkship Diversity?

Happy Thursday from Brad and Avalon here at the Law.com’s Bench Report. We are sliding into your inbox a day early because of the long July 4 weekend. Our editor says he can already hear the rush of holiday traffic fleeing Washington, D.C. Let’s take a look at what’s in this week’s newsletter… Judges are busy people, but could carving out time for outreach efforts in schools and other parts of the community be one key to boosting the public’s view of the judiciary? We have more on that from several judges below. Plus, a new study shows a more gender-diverse bench increases diversity among clerkships in appeals courts where women only hold one in 17 seats.

Our inboxes are open. You can send tips or thoughts to [email protected] and [email protected]. Hope you all have a happy Fourth of July weekend!

Can Public Outreach Help Fix Perception Of The Judiciary?

(l-r) Emily Vasquez, former judge on the Sacramento County Superior Court, Judge Zia Faruqui, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the District of Columbia, and Judge Sandra Klein, who sits on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. Images via video. Berkeley Judicial Institute