Washington Lawyer - November/December 2020 - 4

DIGITAL EXTRAS

NOV/DEC 2020 | VOLUME 35 NO. 3
JULY/AUGUST | VOLUME 34, NO. 1

PRESIDENT
Geoffrey M. Klineberg
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Chad T. Sarchio

GET TO KNOW D.C. SUPERIOR COURT CHIEF JUDGE ANITA JOSEY-HERRING
see if they are willing to join me in that effort
because I want to make sure that, to the extent
that there are questions from the community on
issues that don't solely rest with the court, we
have the participation of others who can answer
questions and point them in the right direction.

Patrice Gilbert Photography

I also want to address concerns about equity or
equal justice as it relates to some of the criminal
justice issues that have been [getting attention]
nationwide. So, what I expect to do in terms of the
Criminal Division is to collect data to determine
whether we are fairly disposing of cases or need
to be mindful of implicit things that interfere with
our ability to treat all similarly situated litigants
effectively equally.
On October 1, Judge Anita Josey-Herring began
her term as chief judge of D.C. Superior Court
at a time when courts, and society at large, are
grappling with the impacts of the COVID-19
pandemic and the rising outcry over social justice
issues. Here she outlines her priorities as chief
judge and expresses her commitment to fairness
in the justice system.
What priorities are you setting for yourself
moving into your term in office?
As is a concern for courts everywhere, my first
priority will be to figure out how we can resume
full operations. I'd like to address the backlog of
cases that has been building up. I plan to address
the problems expressed to us in the high-volume
courtrooms and the access to justice issues faced
by individuals who cannot afford a lawyer.
I will, within the first 90 days of starting, conduct
virtual townhall meetings with members of the
community in every ward of the city to find out
what their concerns are regarding what the court
is doing, or what they believe it should be doing.
I also plan to engage with some stakeholders to

What can the courts do to ensure equality and
increase confidence that they operate fairly?

TREASURER
Shaun M. Snyder
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Jessica E. Adler, Catherine "Katie" D. Bertram, A. J. S.
Dhaliwal, Elizabeth "Sally" Gere, Susan M. Hoffman,
Theodore A. Howard, Janene D. Jackson, Su Sie Ju,
Natalie M. Koss, June B. Kress, Megan Lacchini, Paul
S. Lee, Lisa Lipsky, Amy E. Nelson, Peggy Lansbach
O'More, Ramya Ravindran, Bridget M. Rowan,
Saleema Snow, Courtney L. Weiner
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Robert J. Spagnoletti
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Suzanne Takeuchi
MANAGING EDITOR
Fleur L. Harris
SENIOR CONTENT EDITOR
Susannah Buell
STAFF WRITERS
John Murph
Jmurph@dcbar.org

I believe that the role of the chief judge is to
ensure that we are dispensing justice in a fair and
impartial manner. I truly believe that, and it's an
important part of who I am. Promoting equal
justice for all people at all times has really been
the driver for me in terms of my continued work.
We have one of the finest trial boards in the
nation, but we can improve, even if we're
excellent.

Jeremy Conrad
Jconrad@dcbar.org

I think it is important for people who interface
with the court to feel that they are treated fairly,
have an opportunity to be heard, and are treated
with respect. I also think it is important for judges
to be involved not only in the courtroom, but also
in the community. I think it's really critical that the
community sees judges outside of the courtroom
and has opportunities to ask questions about
how the system works. The community [needs]
to have confidence that the court system really
cares about people.

Advertising Sales
Ben Anderson
410-584-1951
ben.anderson@mci-group.com

Read the full interview at dcbar.org/news.

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Washington Lawyer - November/December 2020

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