July 2024
I often joke with fellow members about how difficult it is to write the President’s Message each month. How hard it is to say something new or hit the correct tone. The challenge to be both inspirational and reflective, when we are trained as fact finders. But now, as I sit down to write my final message as your President, I realize just what a gift this column is and how much I will miss the reminders from the newsletter staff that “we are just waiting for your message.”
There are not sufficient words to express my immense gratitude and pride for what we have accomplished together these last two years. Membership has grown beyond what we believed possible and we have forged a strong community of LGBTQ+ judges around the globe. We created the LGBTQ+ Judges’ Foundation, committed to supporting our judicial education goals and providing financial support to deserving law students, and our strategic planning committee laid the groundwork for the Association’s brighter future. We fostered a sense of unity and purpose, and have taken steps to preserve our history and solidify our role in the legal community.
I want to thank each and every one of you for creating this dedicated, passionate and inspiring community. This is far more than a “judge’s group.” The LGBTQ+ Judges are a family. And while our community is used to creating family, this group is exceptional. I am constantly in awe of your achievements, your brilliance inside and outside the courtroom, and your commitment to diversity and equal access. But most of all, I am overwhelmed by your love and devotion to one another and this Association. During the most challenging moments and the most joyous of celebrations, this family never wavers in its support, and for that, I am most grateful.
Thank you for the privilege of serving as your President. For those coming to our annual conference, you will hear me say this in person, but it cannot be said enough. Serving as your President has been the greatest honor of my life, and I will be eternally grateful to all of you for your time, your energy and your friendship. It has been more than I could have imagined. You all are more than I could have imagined.