In A Word: Shameful

Today is the last day of March which means a few things.

First, today is the day that most major league baseball teams open their regular season schedule.

Second, tomorrow is April which usually means that within the next two weeks we’ll have one of those great 75 degree spring days where everyone seems to wear a smile.

Today is also the last day of women’s history month.

According to the ABA, in 2007, women accounted for:

  •  30.1% of the Nation’s  1,143,358 lawyers; 
  • 46.9% of the Nation’s 141,031 law students;
  • 162 of the Nation’s 675 U.S. District Court Judges;
  • 42 of the Nation’s 167 Circuit Court Judges;
  • 106 of the Nation’s 349 State Supreme Court Judges.

In Connecticut, our Chief Justice, Chase T. Rogers is a woman and women comprise 3 of the 7 seats on the Connecticut Supreme Court.

Clearly, there is no shortage of talented women in the legal profession.

Yet in 2008, only 1 woman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg serves on the Nation’s highest Court.

 There have been 110 Justices in the history of the Supreme Court and only 2 have been women. Said another way, women have comprised only 1.9% of Court’s total membership.

In this election year, it is fair to ask all Presidential Candidates if they think that it is a problem that only 1 woman presently serves on the United States Supreme Court and if so, what they plan to do about it.

The present gender imbalance on the Court is shameful.