Litigation

High Court Lags Behind Many States on Gender Diversity

By Peter Hardin

Many states are ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court for gender diversity, according to a new backgrounder by the National Center for State Courts, a partner of Justice at Stake.

The Supreme Court now has two justices, out of nine. Even if President Obama were to pick–and win confirmation for–a third, nearly half of state courts of last resort ? 25 of 53 ? already have achieved “that level of gender balance, or greater,” the National Center reported.

Women now comprise  31 percent of all sitting justices on state courts of last resort, according to the National Center’s data. Its backgrounder provides a state-by-state guide.

Meanwhile, U.S. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia told fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus that Obama does not appear likely to choose an African-American to succeed Justice John Paul Stevens, who is retiring.

?We?re not sure this president is ever going to nominate another African-American to the court,? she said, according to an article in The Hill newspaper.

To learn more about the importance of diversity in our courtrooms, check out Justice at Stake’s issues page on the topic. To read more about Obama’s Supreme Court search, click here for Gavel Grab or click here for the JAS “Replacing Justice Stevens” page.

Full post as published by The Gavel on April 29, 2010 (boomark / email).