December 2010-January  2011

Your location: AJS Main Site :: Diversity

Several States See “Firsts” in High Court Diversity

Women are serving as chief justices for the first time in 2011 in three states. In New Hampshire, Governor John Lynch elevated Linda Dalianis to fill a vacancy in the chief justice position. In Ohio, Associate Justice Maureen O’Connor defeated Chief Justice Eric Brown in a statewide race to win the court’s top spot. In Virginia, Justice Cynthia Kinser’s colleagues elected her to serve as the state’s chief justice. 

Three additional states will have jurists of color heading their high courts for the first time in 2011. In California, Governor Schwarzenegger appointed Tani Cantil-Sakauye, a Fillipino-American, to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Chief Justice Ronald George. (Cantil-Sakauye is only the second woman to serve as California’s chief justice.) Following his appointment by Governor Deval Patrick, appeals court judge Roderick Ireland became the first black chief justice on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and Justice Michael Douglas is serving as the first black chief justice of the Nevada Supreme Court. 

Demographic firsts are not confined to the top spot on state high courts. In Colorado, Governor Ritter appointed the state’s first Latina and first openly gay justice in Monica Marquez. Governor Patrick’s appointment of Fernande “Nan” Duffly made her Massachusetts’ first Asian-American justice, and Governor Strickland selected Yvette McGee Brown as the first African-American woman to serve on the Ohio Supreme Court. If confirmed by the senate, Sabrina Shizue McKenna will be Hawaii’s first openly gay justice. 

While there are two states with no women justices on their highest courts, women now comprise the majority of courts of last resort in an unprecedented five states—California, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, as well as in the District of Columbia. At least one judge of color serves on the court of last resort in twenty-four states and the District of Columbia. 

AJS staff is working to compile complete diversity figures for state supreme courts in 2011. Check the January-February 2011 edition of Judicature for an update. AJS also periodically updates its statistics on the gender and racial composition of state courts on the Diversity of the Bench section of the Judicial Selection in the States website.

Article was contributed by Dr. Malia Reddick at American Judicature Society.