Litigation

Top IA Court Lacks Gender Diversity

By Peter Hardin

Iowa’s Supreme Court is one of the least gender diverse state high courts in the country, following Iowans’ vote in November to oust three Supreme Court justices — including one woman. She was Chief Justice Marsha Ternus.

Indiana and Idaho were joined by Iowa as the only states without a female justice after the ouster vote, according to a Des Moines Register article. California Judge Marjorie Laird Carter, president of the National Association of Women Judges, called the Iowa Supreme Court’s lack of gender diversity troubling.

“Some people feel like when they go to court, they don’t get a fair chance – even if it’s a perception – if they don’t see anybody who’s anything like them,” Judge Carter. Her group is a partner of the Justice at Stake Campaign.

“We need role models for our younger members of the legal profession and for all of our youth. We certainly feel that it’s important to have diversity and, certainly, more women on the bench.”

A screening commission that interviewed 60 candidates for the three vacancies has recommended nine finalists, including one woman. Republican Gov. Terry Branstad is due to name the new justices before month’s end. The three justices were dumped in a response to a unanimous state Supreme Court ruling that permitted same-sex marriages (see Gavel Grab for background).

Full post as published by The Gavel on February 21, 2011 (boomark / email).