District of Columbia Chief Judge Panel

On June 18, 2024, we celebrated a District of Columbia Chief Judges women’s trifecta.  The Federal Bar Association DC Chapter and the DC Bar Litigation Community sponsored a panel discussion and luncheon, highlighting this unique time with three unique women who were chief judges in District of Columbia courts for the very first time at the same time!
 
Federal District Court of the District of Columbia Chief Judge Beryl Howell, District of Columbia Court of Appeals Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, and District of Columbia Superior Court Chief Judge Anita Josey-Herring, shared luncheon with a crowd of excited members of the law and legal community.
 
The day convened in the magnificent Prettyman Courthouse Ceremonial Courtroom, our three judges at the bench.  Over their shoulders was a painted portrait of the late Judge Burnita Shelton-Matthews, the first woman judge to sit on any Federal District Court bench anywhere in the United States, thanks to President Truman in late 1949.  Surely Judge Howell and Judge Blackburne-Rigsby and Judge Josey-Herring stand on the shoulders of Judge Shelton-Matthews, who also was Counsel to the National Woman’s Party and Associate editor of the Women Lawyer`s Journal.
 
Our three panelists hail from Georgia and Washington D.C., and Virginia, and two have been members of NAWJ.  Their paths to Chief Judge are varied, including private practice, law clerk in trial and district courts and an executive branch agency, counsel to a Senate committee and to a state Attorney General and a public defender service, Assistant US Attorney, paralegal specialist, Magistrate Judge, and Associate Judge.  It was exciting to hear them share their perspectives as Chief Judge on the paths they have taken, so far, in their careers; on the importance of mentors; on the supervisory roles from that responsibility with a small group of judges to the very large group of judges such as in the DC Superior Court; on the different protocols for being named Chief Judge. 
 
It was an exhilarating and inspiring afternoon!

Respectfully Submitted.
Heidi Pasichow, Associate Judge
Superior Court of the District of Columbia