Chief Justice Keith Callow appointed Judge Rosanne Buckner to chair the first Gender and Justice Implementation Committee. The Committee focused on prioritizing the 75 recommendations of the Gender and Justice Task Force and implementing the Legislative mandates to study domestic violence and the criminal justice system, increase judicial education on domestic violence, and conduct a joint study by the Legislature and the Superior Court Judges on spousal maintenance. The Implementation Committee completed these tasks and the others described in this summary.
GENDER BIAS EDUCATION ATTITUDE AWARENESS
Distributed 2,000 copies of Gender and Justice in the Courts, Washington State, 1989.
Conducted or assisted with gender bias education programs for court, legal and public service organizations, including:
- Washington State Fall Judicial Conference
- Assistant Attorney General's Conference
- Washington Administrative Law Judges' Annual Conference
- Washington State Association of County Clerks' Conference
- District and Municipal Court Management Association
- Washington State Bar Association, (WSBA) Family Law CLE
- Seattle King County Bar Association
- Washington Women Lawyers' Chapter Programs in Seattle, Spokane, and Olympia
- Idaho Judicial Conference
- National Conference of Women's Bar Associations
- American Association of University Women
- National Organization of Women
Coordinated with Washington Women Lawyers (WWL) to produce and implement workshops for public and private sector attorneys.
Provided two copies of the video Still Killing Us Softly for the Audio-Visual Library, Washington State Law Library
WASHINGTON STATE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TASK FORCE
Completed a nine-month study of the criminal and civil justice system response to domestic violence in Washington State. The Domestic Violence Task Force released a final report to the Judiciary, the Legislature, and the public in July 1990. The report listed 41 recommendations for reform. Distributed 1,500 copies of the report.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE EDUCATION
Completed a comprehensive Domestic Violence Curriculum Manual that contains specific curriculum modules and resource materials for continuing education on domestic violence for judges, court personnel, and legal advocates.
Implemented domestic violence education programs at 1991 spring conferences:
- District & Municipal Court Administrators (3 hrs.)
- Superior Court Judges (2 hrs.)
- County Clerks (3 hrs.)
- District & Municipal Court Judges (1.5 hrs.)
Developed a domestic violence resource library of forty-one books, which are available to faculty through the Administrative Office Of The Courts.
Translated the video, Freedom from Abuse: Getting Your Own Protection Order, into Spanish. Distributed the video to courts and domestic violence shelters.
Awarded a grant from the State Justice Institute for $12,000 to conduct a seminar for judges on Domestic Violence: The Crucial Role of the Judge in Criminal Court Cases.
Sponsored two judges' at the National Judicial College Domestic Violence Course.
SPOUSAL MAINTENANCE AND PROPERTY DIVISION
Conducted the Joint Study of Spousal Maintenance by the Legislature and Superior Court Judges. Six judges, five legislators, and a law school professor recommended changes to achieve greater economic equity among family members following dissolution of a marriage. Submitted the Spousal Maintenance & Property Division Study Report to the Legislature and Superior Court Judges, 1991.
The Spousal Maintenance Study Group worked with an economist to determine the viability of a presumptive schedule for maintenance. No schedule was developed.
OTHER
Assisted Washington Women Lawyers with a draft proposal for reporting and responding to gender bias complaints.
Distributed a proposed amendment to the Code of Professional Conduct for attorneys to prohibit gender and minority bias.
Conducted a gender bias in the courts survey for the Attorney General's Conference.
In 1990, the Washington Council on Crime and Delinquency presented the Gender and Justice Task Force with an award for outstanding achievement by a public organization.
