Lady Justice: Women of the Court

In this episode, current and former Chief Justices describe the roles and responsibilities that come with the position. Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor of Ohio and Chief Justice Loretta Rush of Indiana join the program to share their experiences and insights.

Craving even more insight on career opportunities in the legal field? The women recently spoke at the When There are Nine conference at the University of Charleston in West Virginia, an event designed as a ‘for women, by women’ conversation for those considering a career in the law. Listen in as the justices discuss formative experiences that inspired them to enter the legal profession, including...

On this episode, the Lady Justices share their insight on how to succeed in law school based on listener questions that we received from students through social media and on our podcast voicemail. Joining the program is special guest Justice Carla Wong McMillian (shown right) of the Georgia Supreme Court. 

In this Season 2 opener, we're once again celebrating Constitution Day! The justices discuss timely issues around state constitutions, like redistricting after the recent census. The women also discuss the most recent amendments to the constitutions in their states. Plus, what happens when states interpret the same general language in their constitutions differently? All that explained on this epi...

Being a state Supreme Court justice is about much more than writing opinions on important cases. Justices are also responsible for overseeing the court system in their state. Part of this usually involves finding a passion and trying to affect change where they think it’s needed, whether that’s working to help children in foster care, studying the reasons behind an ever-growing prison population,...

In some countries, Supreme Courts write an opinion as a whole court. After all, the law is the law and there should be one unified interpretation of it, right? Well, that’s not how things operate in the Unites States. Court decisions recognize openly that the law is not always clear and certain.  A justice can write a dissent to explain why they think the majority got it wrong or a concurrence, me...

For years, lawyers have struggled with issues like depression, anxiety, and substance abuse at a rate higher than the general population. The women discuss how, historically, there’s been a hands-off approach by the profession to addressing these issues, but that this is changing in some big ways. We hear from a national expert, Bree Buchanan, who is leading a movement toward recognizing the many...

In this episode, the justices examine the lives of women legal crusaders you may not have heard about. Also, the latest numbers are out about the state of women in law firms, which calls for a discussion examining why it might be that women go to law school at the same rate as men yet there remains a significant lack of women in law firm leadership. ----more---- Episode Resources:    

On this episode, examining the female figure that has become the moral face of the court system: Lady Justice. We see statues of Lady Justice in courthouses across America - the scales, the blindfold, the sword. The women discuss what the imagery means to them personally after some reflection and scholarly reading.  We’ll also hear from Yale Law School professor and author Judith Resnik, who has s...

Most Supreme Court cases are decided based on written briefs submitted by attorneys. But sometimes the Court grants oral argument in a case and attorneys have the opportunity to speak directly to the justices in the courtroom. Justices generally know where they stand going in to oral argument. Can oral argument be so effective it changes the mind of a justice and the outcome of a case?  The women...

The women take questions during a virtual event by the Women’s Chapter of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. Topics include women in leadership and balancing a high-demand career with the responsibilities of motherhood. Plus, holiday memories and good reads!

When a party loses in court, they have the right to appeal the ruling and ask a higher court, known as an appellate court, to review the case. But what happens next? The women provide a behind-the-scenes look at the process. 

The women justices discuss their individual journeys to the bench. 

The women discuss the valuable contributions of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

Residents of the United States all live under the U.S. Constitution, but every state also has its own Constitution. The women discuss how these written documents can vary rather significantly from state to state.

On Episode 1 of Lady Justice: examining America’s “other” constitutions. Residents of the United States all live under the U.S. Constitution, but every state also has its own Constitution, and these written documents can vary rather significantly from state-to-state. 

Introducing Lady Justice, a podcast where four women Supreme Court justices on their state's high court come together to focus on our nation’s state courts. It’s another perspective on the workings of our justice system.