Dean Greene Welcomes Women Judges at Conference Reception in Detroit

Oct. 24, 2022

Michigan Supreme Court Justices Megan Cavanagh (left) and Elizabeth Welch (right) with MSU Law Dean Linda Sheryl Greene (center)

MSU College of Law Dean Linda Sheryl Greene told a gathering of women judges last week that their voices on the bench help make justice under law truly more equal.

Dean Greene welcomed about 35 members of the judiciary from around the country at a reception following the first day of the National Association of Women Judges in Detroit.

Among the guests were two Michigan Supreme Court justices, Hon. Megan Cavanagh and Hon. Elizabeth Welch.

“It’s important to the judiciary to shine a spotlight on the role of women in the rule of law,” Dean Greene said. “We will only achieve true equal justice when more women’s voices are represented.

Despite the recent appointment of Justice Ketanji Jackson Brown to the U.S. Supreme Court, women – especially Black women – remain significantly underrepresented in the federal judiciary. Though women make up 51% of the U.S. population, they represent only 30% of federal judges and 34% of state court judges.

Furthermore, only 4% of federal judges are Black women; 4.4% of district court judges are Black women; and 3.4% of appeals court judges are Black women, according to the American Bar Association’s 2022 Profile of the Legal Profession.

Dean Greene told the guests that Michigan State University College of Law is undergoing a transformation and invited them to become a part of it.

“We are aiming to be a world leader in DEI,” she said. “We’re looking forward to the next 10 years. We would love to have more judges on our faculty. We would also welcome collaborating on clerkships for our students to get more experience with the judiciary.”

Dean Greene said MSU Law is exploring the notion of adding a “Distinguished Jurist in Residence” to MSU Law faculty.

Dean Greene, right, speaks with Retired Wayne County Circuit Judge Pamela Harwood (left), and Zenell Brown (center) Executive Court Administrator for Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan.