Judges in the Community

Captured live this March, Judge Julia Alloggiamento and her colleagues at the Santa Clara County Courthouse of the Northern District of California travel to Windmill Springs Elementary for their annual tradition of sharing stories, Q&A sessions, and group hugs with the youth in their community.

BJI’s first installment features Judge Celeste Bremer of the Southern District of Iowa discussing her courthouse’s community-based artwork, commissioned from local high school students and serving as a beacon of warmth and welcoming for over a decade.

Serving the border town of Laredo, Texas, Judge Saldaña and Judge Song Quiroga provide insights and powerful impacts from their courthouse’s first ever paid summer fellowship program for the underrepresented high school students of their community.

Judge Constance Cohen of the Southern District of Iowa’s juvenile court system illuminates her reading-based project to keep families affected by the legal system engaged and connected in easily accessible, but extremely impactful ways. Learn more here!

Diving deep into the archives of bias and bigotry in Washington’s judicial past, Judge David Keenan seeks to bring to light for King County’s incoming law students the reality of a career in the legal field — both its dangers and its opportunities for progress.

Hailing from the Northern District of Ohio, Judge Morgenstern-Clarren shares how she took it upon herself to make magic for the children of immigrants in her community and craft spirited naturalization ceremonies exclusively for them, complete with live music, poetry, and more.

Seeking to make a difference in her bankruptcy branch of the legal world, Paula Beran joins BJI to speak of her experience creating DREAMS (Discovering Restructuring Expertise and Mentorship Symposium) to offer career opportunities and valuable insights to the lucky students of Howard Law.

Inaugurating amidst the pandemic’s turmoil and the drive for systemic change boiling underneath, Judge Julia Alloggiamento traces the inception and evolution of her courthouse’s annual outreach program which emphasizes the importance of judicial diversity and encourages legal pursuits within her community’s underrepresented student population. 

As the initiative continues to spread across courthouses in the 2nd Circuit, Judge Joseph Bianco shares the story of how he and his colleagues established the first ever summer camp in the federal court system and the range of all the incredible things this powerful idea were able to bring to his community.

Overflowing with amazing ideas and the drive to match, Judge Nancy Joseph sheds light on the incredible journey the lucky students in her institute embark on — with immersive legal and judicial education, mentorships, and internships to boot. Check out this article from an affiliated partner, Marquette Law School, to see just how much she and her efforts been changing lives for a decade now.

Intertwining countless civic education strategies, Judge Landya McCafferty shares the wide world of community outreach she offers to the middle and high school students of her New Hampshire district — naturalization ceremonies, student talks, sentencing scenarios and more!

Established as the gold standard for judicial outreach and civic education for a decade now, these incredible judges from the Southern District of Florida share the steps along the way of their program’s journey and provide valuable insights and resources for any interested parties, available through the Federal Bar Association here and the US Courts website here!