Beyond Stonewall: Navigating LGBTQ+ Rights in the Judiciary

This year marks the 55th anniversary of the 1969 stonewall riots, which were a series of resistance protests to the ongoing arrest of gay bar patrons that had been going on for years. These protests are widely considered to be the catalyst that ignited and transformed the LGBTQ+ community and the battle for rights in the United States. While significant progress has been made in the judiciary and across New York State over the last 55 years in promoting LGBTQ+ equality, some of those hard-fought rights are now in jeopardy. Sadly, other rights have yet to be won. There remains a pressing need for further action and reform.

Despite the increasing visibility of LGBTQ+ judges and legal professionals, systematic barriers and biases continue to impede full inclusion and representation within the judiciary. Additionally, discriminatory practices, lack of legal protections, and societal pressure hinder many LGBTQ+ individuals' access to justice and fair treatment in legal proceedings. Further, disparities in representation among different segments of the LGBTQ+ community, especially of transgender and non-binary individuals, underscore the ongoing need for concerted efforts to promote diversity and inclusivity within the judiciary.

This program brings together several LGBTQ+ judges and Court Professionals for a conversation as to their personal career paths, their experiences navigating the judiciary as members of that body and as members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as make recommendations on how to best promote judicial diversity in the years to come. Attendees will gain insight into the major court cases that have shaped the current state of LGBTQ+ rights in New York State, gain insight into the various channels available to professionals seeking careers within the court system, and discover ways that everyone can get involved in advocating for a more inclusive and diverse judiciary.

Speakers

Hon. Javier E. Vargas, Court of Claims of New York

Hon. Michael R. Sonberg, Supreme Court of New York State

Leslie C. Treff, Esq., Moderator, Law Office of Leslie Treff

Matthew J. Skinner, Esq., NYS Unified Court System

Prof. Meredith R. Miller, Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center