The ABA Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado was a great experience for me as it relates to moderating a Judicial Panel and furthering the bond between myself and the other State Bar of Michigan Council members. The Conference was held in Denver, Colorado from August 2-6th, 2023, at the Hyatt and the Colorado Convention Center.
I was fortunate enough to moderate a panel consisting of: the Hon. Nina Y. Wang (United States District Judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado); Hon. Gilbert M. Román (Chief Judge, Colorado Court of Appeals); Hon. Melissa L. Pope (Chief Judge, Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Tribal Court); Hon. Linda Strite Murnane (Associate Justice, High Court, Republic of the Marshall Islands); and Hon. Henry Hamilton, III (Federal Administrative Law Judge).
The panel was called “Diversity: Bench to the Bar” panel that focused on the diversity of the judges and how they became judges. Specifically, Judge Nina Wang spoke of her parents’ struggle of being immigrants and how that shaped her decision to run for the bench. Additionally, Judge Pope spoke of her many efforts to combat violence against Indigenous People, as well as a focus on protecting Indigenous women. Judge Murnane gave us a detailed description of her times as a woman in the military and how she had to overcome tremendous amounts of oppression.
The Council meeting was uneventful as there were key components missing from years prior. Further, there was no agenda for assembly, thus, there was no order. Although assembly was not up to par, our team from the State Bar came and had a great bonding experience. We all climbed the Rocky Mountains together. Overall, it was a great experience to have with my fellow members.
Darnell Barton, Barton Law, PLLC
Inter Alia 