Charleston School of Law students and leaders attended the national diversity event for law students and attorneys, “Roadways to the Bench: Who Me? A Bankruptcy or Magistrate Judge?”

The event was hosted by the federal Judiciary, led by the Judicial Conference Committees on the Administration of the Bankruptcy System and the Magistrate Judges System, and held at 38 locations across the United States.

The event was created to encourage law students to consider pursuing Judiciary career opportunities, with the goal of expanding the pipeline of qualified applicants from which to select new bankruptcy and magistrate judges.

“The event creates an opportunity for those questions to be answered and for participants to realize that they too can gain or already possess many of the attributes that would make them a wonderful candidate to serve as a federal court judge.” – New York Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave/U.S. Courts

“It’s hard to duplicate the experience of sitting across the table from esteemed federal judges and ask questions about their personal journeys to becoming a judge,” said Nick Sanders, Charleston Law Associate Dean of Students. “These are critical opportunities to advance the equipping and preparation for all our students, but especially those who come from communities or backgrounds that are under-represented in the profession and on the bench.”

The South Carolina roundtable was held in Columbia and was attended by Charleston School of Law leaders and students Sherman “Tres” Brown, Daven Barnett, Donovan Coker, Marissa Bryan, Jessica Hernandez, and Khari Ford.

Dean Larry Cunningham served on the planning committee for the Columbia event, which was chaired by Bankruptcy Judge Elisabetta Gasparini and Magistrate Judge Shiva Hodges.

Florida-based magistrate Judge Shaniek Mills Maynard said in a press release that she “wrestled with the decision to apply” for a judgeship position saying:

“I didn’t think of myself as the most likely candidate, there wasn’t really anyone who looked like me on the bench in the county where I lived. Plus, I had spent the last three years outside of the courtroom running a non-profit. I think a lot of very good, very qualified lawyers rule themselves out because they don’t think they fit the mold.”

Diversity is a core value at Charleston School of Law. The Office of Diversity Initiatives seeks to create a campus environment that welcomes and fosters diversity in broad aspects. The Departments and Offices work to be inclusive.

“The legal profession and legal education have a responsibility to ensure that such opportunities are widely available and tailored to students who can benefit by seeing themselves in leadership positions so that every aspect of the legal community is an accurate reflection of the communities in which we live,” noted Sanders.

Four federal judges participated in a livestream panel from Washington, D.C., followed by local roundtable sessions where law students had the opportunity to interact with judges.

According to the U.S. Courts website more than 600 federal judges attended the discussions throughout the country to speak and participate in small group settings about their paths to the bench and careers in the law.