Gender and Justice Commission

1987-1989 Annual Report

Hon. H. Joseph Coleman, Chief Judge,
Court Of Appeals, Division I, Chair

Gloria C. Hemmen,
Office of the Administrator
for the Courts, Project Coordinator

In 1987 the Washington State Legislature mandated the Administrative Office Of The Courts initiate measures to prevent gender and minority bias in the state court system. Such measures were to include (1) the study of the status of women and minorities as litigants, attorneys, judges, and court employees and (2) attitude awareness training for judges and legal professionals. The Washington State Supreme Court established two task forces to conduct this work. The Gender and Justice Task Force conducted its work from 1987-1989; the Minority and Justice Task Force conducted its work from 1988-1990. Chief Justice Vernon R. Pearson appointed Judge H. Joseph Coleman, Court of Appeals, Division I, to chair the Gender and Justice Task Force.

RESEARCH

During its twenty months of study, the Task Force gathered information from more than 2,000 individuals and conducted research, including:

• Seven Public Hearings (Seattle, Spokane, Pasco, Wenatchee, Bellingham, Longview, and Tacoma)
• Five Surveys
  
  
  Judicial Survey on Gender Bias in the Courts
  Lawyers' Survey on Gender Bias in the Courts
  Judicial Survey on Domestic Violence and Rape
  Survey of Providers of Services to Domestic Violence Victims
  Survey of Providers of Services to Sexual Assault Victims
• Dissolution Case Study
• Wrongful Death, Loss of Consortium, and Attorney Fees in Discrimination Cases Studies
• Review of Court Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity, and Sexual Harassment Policies

The Task Force concluded gender bias does exist in the Washington State court system and describes the extent of that bias in Gender and Justice in the Courts, Washington State, 1989. The report is divided into two main sections:

I. Report of the Committee on the Status of Litigants

II. Report of the Committee on the Treatment of Lawyers, Litigants, Judges, and Court Personnel

The Task Force made seventy-five recommendations for reform.