Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 18

FEATURE

Standing on Her Shoulders
A TRIBUTE TO JUDGE

JUNE L. GREEN

By Elizabeth Sarah " Sally " Gere

E

ven when President Lyndon B. Johnson
appointed her to the federal bench in 1968,
June Lazenby Green still faced discrimination.
Upon her arrival, the chief judge of the U.S.
District Court for the District of Columbia warned
Judge Green that her new male colleagues did
not want her to eat lunch with them in the judges'
dining room. Not to be deterred, she soon became
a " regular " in the lunchroom, which she brightened
not only with her unique perspective but also
with fresh flowers from her garden. Some of those
reluctant colleagues became her lifelong friends.
Judge Green, the fourth woman in the country to serve on a federal
district court, occupied her seat for more than three decades before
passing away in February 2001. On the 20th anniversary of her death,
it is fitting to honor Judge Green, on whose barrier-breaking shoulders
many stand.
She inspired generations of women who followed her into the courtroom and onto the bench. With her perfect posture, head held high,
shoulders always squared, Judge Green became a role model when
there were few for women litigators and even fewer for women judges.
By watching what she accomplished in courtrooms and conference
rooms filled only with men, young women lawyers saw a path for themselves. This was especially true for her many female law clerks, and I was
privileged to be one of them.

FIGHTING FOR OPPORTUNITIES
Judge Green was born in her family home in Arnold, Maryland, in 1914
- before women could vote and before higher education for women
was commonplace. She did not attend college but instead struck out on
her own after graduating from high school, opening a small gift shop in
Annapolis with one of her sisters. Green learned about business, human
relations, and the importance of honoring one's professional commitments. Being an entrepreneur during the Great Depression instilled in
her grit and self-confidence.

18

WASHINGTON LAWYER

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MARCH/APRIL 2021

Photos courtesy of Sally Gere

In 1936 June married the love of her life, John Cawley Green, a Naval
Academy graduate. They lived in Washington, D.C., for more than a
decade in a small apartment on Connecticut Avenue, forming a strong
marital bond of equals. John attended Georgetown University's law
school while June worked as a secretary in the advertising department
of the Washington Post.
Post. In the evenings, she helped John with his studies.
It became clear that June loved the law, but she could not attend
Georgetown with John because it did not admit women.
In search of a law school that admitted women, Green was drawn to
the Washington College of Law (now American University's law school),
founded by two women and led by a woman dean. Her male professors
repeatedly called upon her in class or made her the subject of their
hypotheticals. Although this may have been meant to embarrass her,
Green capitalized on it. She learned to stop blushing when in front of



Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021

Digital Extras
From Our President
Practice Management
Calendar of Events
Toward Well-Being
Staying Put in Big Law feature
A Sisterhood of Latina Lawyers Sidebar
Increasing Diversity & Inclusion the the Legal Profession feature
Cultivate Mentorships sidebar
A Tribute to Judge June L. Green feature
Delicate Balance for Black Women Attorneys in Government Feature
Falling Short on Disability Inclusion feature
Elusive Justice in Violence Against Native Women feature
Worth Reading
On Further Review
The Learning Curve
Member Spotlight - Marcia Madsen
Member Spotlight - Simon Zinger
ABA Delegates Corner
Attorney Briefs
Speaking of Ethics
Disciplinary Summaries
The Pro Bono Effecy
A Slice of Wry
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Cover1
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Cover2
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 1
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 2
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 3
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Digital Extras
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 5
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - From Our President
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Calendar of Events
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Practice Management
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Toward Well-Being
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Staying Put in Big Law feature
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 11
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - A Sisterhood of Latina Lawyers Sidebar
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 13
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Increasing Diversity & Inclusion the the Legal Profession feature
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 15
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Cultivate Mentorships sidebar
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 17
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - A Tribute to Judge June L. Green feature
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 19
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 20
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 21
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Delicate Balance for Black Women Attorneys in Government Feature
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 23
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 24
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 25
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Falling Short on Disability Inclusion feature
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 27
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 28
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 29
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Elusive Justice in Violence Against Native Women feature
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 31
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 32
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Worth Reading
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 34
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 35
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - On Further Review
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - The Learning Curve
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Member Spotlight - Marcia Madsen
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Member Spotlight - Simon Zinger
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 40
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 41
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - ABA Delegates Corner
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Attorney Briefs
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Speaking of Ethics
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 45
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Disciplinary Summaries
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 47
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - The Pro Bono Effecy
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 49
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 50
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - 51
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - A Slice of Wry
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Cover3
Washington Lawyer - March/April 2021 - Cover4
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