Infinity Project and MWL statement on Sotomayor

The Infinity Project and Minnesota Women Lawyers have released a joint statement on the confirmation process of Judge Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court:

Minnesota Women Lawyers and The Infinity Project commend President Barack Obama for the nomination of a woman, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The decision whether Judge Sotomayor should be confirmed should be based on a measured and civil confirmation process that fosters a thoughtful debate about Judge Sotomayor's credentials, not her gender or national origin. We believe the depth and quality of any nominee's legal experience is the proper subject of evaluation. In state elections, MWL asks voters to consider such qualities as legal education, experience, reputation for excellence and fairness and temperament. We urge the United States Senate to consider the same relevant factors in the conduct of Judge Sotomayor’s confirmation process.

It is also our hope and expectation that President Obama will continue to appoint women to the United States District Courts and Courts of Appeals, where women are currently underrepresented. While women make up 48 percent of law school graduates and over 30 percent of the legal profession overall, they are only 24 percent of federal district court judges, 25 percent of circuit court judges, and 11 percent of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court. Not only do we believe that the judiciary should more fairly reflect the composition of the profession, but we strive for a fair reflection of the public that our judiciary serves.

Contact Woman, Esq. at womanesq@gmail.com for further contact and reference information.

Equal Pay Day

A national holiday just passed that flew far under the radar. Tuesday, April 28--last Tuesday--was Equal Pay Day for 2009. An easy holiday, because if anyone is wondering what to get you, you can just tell them, "Money."

Unfortunately, though, the answer isn't really that simple.

Equal Pay Day was started in 1996 by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) as a public awareness event to draw attention to the gap between men's and women's wages. According to the Institute for Women's Policy Research, the ratio of women’s to men’s median weekly earnings for full-time workers was 79.9 in 2008, the third consecutive decline since the historical high of 81.0 in 2005.

It appears that each year the NCPE holds a press conference with various legislators and group leaders. The group asks for two things to commemorate the day: for local groups to get the message out, and for everyone to wear red. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that Minnesota did much with the holiday this year.

It's too bad we missed it, as there was something to celebrate this year. The first bill President Obama signed was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which states that the 180-day statute of limitations for pay discrimination resets with each new discriminatory paycheck. The legislation addresses the procedural bar the Supreme Court found to a pay discrimination claim in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (a case touched on at the Infinity Project launch by keynote speaker Sherrilyn Ifills ).

Although the Act is an obvious and positive step toward pay equity, it also reminds us of the many factors that contribute to the existing disparity. The battle only continues, and so next year, let's wear red.