Join the American Constitution Society, California ChangeLawyers, UCLA Law School Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy, and Latina Lawyers Bar Association for a presentation and panel discussion for lawyers and law students on creating a pipeline to the state and federal judiciary. We will explore how we can develop pathways to the bench from law schools through clerkships and legal careers that result in a judiciary that looks like the people of California and also reflects California's values of inclusion, fairness, and justice.

In California, 3 in 5 residents are people of color, but only 1 in 3 California judges are people of color. In response, the Judicial Council of California has created a toolkit designed to increase diversity on the state bench, and we will hear about these new efforts. On the federal level, diversity of Article III judges has actually decreased since 2017. To help shine some light on how the process actually works, our panelists will share their stories of how they were elevated to their judgeships. We will also discuss how we can build the necessary structures for diverse law students and attorneys from all practice backgrounds, including public interest, to become successful candidates for the state and federal bench.

Featuring:

Presiding Judge Kevin Brazile

Judge Lucy Armendariz

Molly Greene, ACS

Jody David Armour, Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law at USC Gould

5:30-6 Networking

6-7:30 Program