Berkeley Judicial Institute Executive Director Judge Jeremy Fogel, in tandem with Judge Thelton Henderson, interview Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell. The event will be in person at the Berkeley Law School, and is open to all Berkeley Law students.
The former state judicial colleagues will talk about ALL of the issues in the title of Judge Cordell’s book; audience questions welcome. We anticipate a lively discussion!
Judge Cordell’s book, HER HONOR, will be published in October. Early program registrants will receive a copy of the book, and will get so much more value from the discussion by reading the book prior to the program. Thinking about service in the judiciary as part of your legal career? Interested in the court’s role in solving the pressing problems of our day? This is a program you won’t want to miss.
The publisher’s description:
In Her Honor, Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell provides a rare and thought-provoking insider account of our legal system, sharing vivid stories of the cases that came through her courtroom and revealing the strengths, flaws, and much-needed changes within our courts.
Judge Cordell, the first African American woman to sit on the Superior Court of Northern California, knows firsthand how prejudice has permeated our legal system. And yet, she believes in the system. From ending school segregation to legalizing same-sex marriage, its progress relies on legal professionals and jurors who strive to make the imperfect system as fair as possible.
Her Honor is an entertaining and provocative look into the hearts and minds of judges. Cordell takes you into her chambers where she haggles with prosecutors and defense attorneys and into the courtroom during jury selection and sentencing hearings. She uses real cases to highlight how judges make difficult decisions, all the while facing outside pressures from the media, law enforcement, lobbyists, and the friends and families of the people involved.
Cordell’s candid account of her years on the bench shines light on all areas of the legal system, from juvenile delinquency and the shift from rehabilitation to punishment, along with the racial biases therein, to the thousands of plea bargains that allow our overburdened courts to stay afloat—as long as innocent people are willing to plead guilty. There are tales of marriages and divorces, adoptions, and contested wills—some humorous, others heartwarming, still others deeply troubling.
Her Honor is for anyone who’s had the good or bad fortune to stand before a judge or sit on a jury. It is for true-crime junkies and people who vote in judicial elections. Most importantly, this is a book for anyone who wants to know what our legal system, for better or worse, means to the everyday lives of all Americans.
This course does not offer CLE credit.