Events
JUCICIAL SELECTION IN SC: ENSURING QUALITY, INDEPENDENCE & DIVERSITY On the Bench
The League of Women Voters of South Carolina &
The South Carolina Women Lawyers Association
Present a Community Forum --
Judicial Selection in South Carolina: Ensuring Quality, Independence & Diversity On the Bench
In Celebration of Constitution Day 2008
Wednesday, September 17
5:30 p.m. Reception
6:00-8:00 p.m. Panel Discussion
The Palmetto Club, 1231 Sumter Street, Columbia
Panel Members:
Sen. James H. Ritchie, Jr., S. C. State Senate (District 13 - Greenville,
Spartanburg & Union Cos.); Member, S.C. Judicial Merit Selection Commission
Barbara George Barton, Former SCWLA President/Ladder Group Chairman, and Attorney
Professor John Freeman, Professor Emeritus and Member of S.C. Judicial Merit Selection Commission
I.S. Leevy Johnson, Attorney and former legislator
Sen. Glenn McConnell, President pro tempore of the S. C State Senate and Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee (invited)
Professor John L.S. Simpkins, Professor at the Charleston School of Law and Specialist in Constitutional Law and diversity
Chief Justice Jean Hoefer Toal, S.C. Supreme Court
Moderator: Prof. Constance Anastopoulo, Charleston School of Law, SCWLA, and LWV/Charleston Area
Topics for discussion:
How does the system of judicial selection in South Carolina compare with that of other states?
Does the South Carolina system of appointment of the judiciary by a white male-dominated General Assembly provide equal opportunities for women and minorities to ascend to the bench, or does it lead to “cronyism” among legislators and their friends?
Does the selection process ensure independence of the bench?
Why does it matter that independence and diversity be considerations in the judicial selection process?
How can diversity be promoted in the South Carolina judicial system while ensuring a fair and independent judiciary?
This program is an initiative of the League of Women Voters Education Fund’s Safeguarding U.S. Democracy: Promoting an Independent Judiciary project. Generous funding has been received from the LWV Education Fund and the Program on Constitutional and Legal Policy of the Open Society Institute.
Co-Sponsors: The Alliance for Women; American Association of University Women of S.C.; Charleston School of Law; Columbia Business and Professional Women; Common Cause South Carolina; League of Women Voters/Columbia Area; Richland County Bar Association; South Carolina Bar; South Carolina State Conference of NAACP; Women in Law
FREE TO ALL * REGISTER BY SEPT. 10
PARK FREE (behind and below building--Lady Street entrance)
For more information or to register, call SCWLA at 803.447.1141 or email angelwarren@msn.com.
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
Venue: The Palmetto Club
Event Type: Reception and Panel Discussion
You Should Know
In 2002-03, 37.7% percent of all South Carolina households were headed by women with children under 18 years old.
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Thanks to the following companies for their generous support and sponsorship:
