LGN hosts Minnesota Chapter of the American Constitution Society for a panel discussion on the “Gavel Gap” and increasing judicial diversity in Minnesota.

LGN hosted the Minnesota Chapter of the American Constitution Society (ACS) on January 18th for a discussion on the importance of judicial diversity in our justice system. The discussion featured Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge Peter Reyes, Ramsey County District Court Judge Nicole Starr, Hennepin County District Court Judge Tanya Bransford, as well as Lidya Makonnen and Cumah Blake, from the Office of Governor Mark Dayton.

The discussion, facilitated by Saraswati Singh from the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General, focused on a study compiled by ACS showing troubling differences between the race and gender composition of the courts and the communities they serve. The panelists discussed their own experiences on the bench, as well as the efforts by Governor Dayton to ensure that the composition of our courts better reflects the diversity of our communities in Minnesota.

The event was co-hosted by the ACLU, the Hispanic Bar Association, the Lavender Bar Association, and the Ramsey County Bar Association.

LGN attorney Rachel Kitze Collins serves on the Board of ACS Minnesota.