June 7 Panel at Rutgers School of Law–Newark on Continuing Perceptions of Race and Gender Bias in the New Jersey Courts

NEWARK, NJ – On Monday, June 7, 2010 from 5 – 8 pm, a panel of experts will discuss future efforts to help ensure that all New Jersey court users perceive they have been treated fairly. The panel discussion will be held at Rutgers School of Law–Newark in the Baker Trial Courtroom. It is sponsored by the law school and the Supreme Court Committee on Women in the Courts. The New Jersey Bar and specialty bars are participating organizations.

The discussion will be guided by the findings and recommendations of a 2007 survey conducted by the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Women in the Courts that found that perceptions of bias toward female attorneys and attorneys of color persist, despite efforts over the past 25 years to address issues of bias. The discussion will be followed by a question and answer session.

“Ensuring Equal Access to Justice: Addressing the Perceptions of Race and Gender Bias in the Courts”

Opening Remarks
Presiding Appellate Judge Francine I. Axelrad, Chair, Supreme Court Committee on Women in the Courts

Welcome
Dean John J. Farmer, Jr., Rutgers School of Law–Newark

Remarks
Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, Supreme Court of New Jersey

Panel Discussion

• Professor Esther Canty-Barnes, Rutgers School of Law–Newark, and co-chair, Subcommittee on Women of Color, Moderator
• Janine Matton, Deputy Attorney General and co-chair, Subcommittee on Women of Color
• Lynn Hecht Schafran, Senior Vice President and Director of the National Judicial Education Program, Legal Momentum
• Paulette Brown, Chief Diversity Officer, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP
• Professor Susan Sturm, George M. Jaffin Professor of Law and Social Responsibility, Columbia Law School
• John McGill, Assistant Counsel for Ethics Committee, Office of Attorney Ethics, Supreme Court of New Jersey