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    Fall 2014

      November 2014

    Career

    Diversity on the Federal Bench: It’s about More than Gender and Race

    Ann Farmer

    Although President Barack Obama has put more women and people of color on the federal bench than any president before him, only about one-third of Article III judgeships are women, and a much smaller percentage of federal judges are women of color. But diversification also means that the judiciary should represent a variety of life experiences and professional backgrounds, too.

    In This Issue

    Career

    Who’s Taking the Lead?: Women Litigators Strive to Take Charge in the Courtroom

    G.M. Filisko

    A new study based on detailed data from the Northern District of Illinois, representing a jurisdiction with a well-balanced litigation practice, reveals that—as in other areas of the profession—women are not taking charge of litigation matters as often as men. When women appear in a case, they’re lead counsel about 40 percent of the time; when men appear in a case, they’re lead counsel roughly 60 percent of the time. But the study’s author and some leading litigators and judges say the problem is solvable.

    Career

    Grappling with the Changing Landscape of Same-Sex Marriage Laws

    Hannah Hayes

    The Supreme Court’s 2013 decision declaring Sec. 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional impacts more than 1,000 statutes and regulations pertaining to areas from social security and taxes to housing, veterans’ benefits, and housing—not to mention marriage, children, and divorce. Family law practitioners counseling LGBT clients need to become aware of the changes and the complex and numerous documents required to assure full protection for same-sex couples.