Category Archives: Discrimination

Judiciary Committee Democrats Should Call the Republican “Assistant” as an Expert Witness on Sex Assault Reporting and Veracity

Posted on September 25, 2018 by richardzorza

We all remember the scene from Inherit the Wind.  Spencer Tracey, playing Clarence Darrow, is cut off from calling almost all his experts, so he turns round and calls the prosecuting William Jennings Brown-based character, who then makes a fool … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Discrimination, Political Issues and Justice, Supreme Court, White House | 1 Comment

Justice Kennedy’s Opinion On “Baking Discrimination” Is Clarion Call for Process Neutrality In The Entire Governmental Sphere

Posted on June 4, 2018 by richardzorza

In a brilliant piece in Politico today, Professor Richard Primus argues that the Baking for Gay Marriage Opinion, by rejecting broad First Amendment protections for discrimination, sets up the travel ban case for a similarly positive outcome, not only because … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Discrimination, Federal Courts, Freedom of Expression, Immigration, Political Support, Supreme Court | Comments Off on Justice Kennedy’s Opinion On “Baking Discrimination” Is Clarion Call for Process Neutrality In The Entire Governmental Sphere

Study Showing Greater Racial Bias By Republican Judges Has to Shatter Our Assumptions

Posted on May 28, 2018 by richardzorza

I was getting ready to draft a rebuttal to an article from the New York Times, Would you go to a Republican Doctor, reporting a study that “knowing about people’s political beliefs did interfere with the ability to assess those … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Bias, Chasm with Communities, Discrimination, Federal Courts | 1 Comment

Algorithm Bias and Algorithm-Based Bias Compensation

Posted on May 8, 2017 by richardzorza

As part of my series on algorithm bias, I want to offer what I think is a potentially revolutionary take on using algorithms not just to minimize, but actually to compensate for, bias and discrimination. The core idea is that … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Bias, Discrimination, Judicial Ethics, Metrics, Race | 1 Comment

Towards A Principles-Driven Approach to Algorithm-Based Decision-Making in the Justice System

Posted on May 1, 2017 by richardzorza

A very recent article by Adam Liptak in the New York Times draws attention to the actual practice in Wisconsin of using algorithm-driven predictions in sentencing, and to the pending attempt to otbain review of the practice by the US … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Criminal Law, Discrimination, Research and Evalation, Security, Technology, Transparency | 2 Comments

Nevada Shows It Is Time for Another Shot at the Equal Rights Amendment

Posted on March 21, 2017 by richardzorza

I have been thinking for a few days that maybe it was time to think about a new initiative to pass the (gender) Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). My thought was that the last failures to reach the required three quarter … Continue reading →

Posted in Constitution, Discrimination, Supreme Court | Comments Off on Nevada Shows It Is Time for Another Shot at the Equal Rights Amendment

Thoughts For Those At Personal and Family Risk

Posted on November 8, 2016 by richardzorza

There will be time and time enough to understand how this has happened. But first, let us find the ways to be supportive at the personal and group level of people who are now to be put at risk through … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Discrimination, Immigration, White House | 1 Comment

Tim Kaine Calls for New Approach to Poverty — Legal Aid Implications

Posted on October 30, 2016 by richardzorza

Remember his wife is a former legal aid lawyer and a former judge.  According to the Detroit Free Press, in speech on Oct 16, Kaine: .  .  .  outlined the campaign’s three-pillar attack on poverty, including: Raising incomes for families, … Continue reading →

Posted in 100% Access Strategy and Campaign, Discrimination, Evictions, Foreclosure, Funding, Housing, Legal Aid, LSC, White House | Comments Off on Tim Kaine Calls for New Approach to Poverty — Legal Aid Implications

Meet Claudia Johnson’s Daughter Scarlet Johnson, Now Blogging Too

Posted on August 25, 2016 by richardzorza

Everyone in our network knows Claudia Johnson, who frequently guest blogs in this space. But I bet you did not know that her daughter Scarlet Johnson is now a blogger too, launching her blogging with this contribution, which exudes her … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Discrimination, Guest Bloggers, This Blog | Comments Off on Meet Claudia Johnson’s Daughter Scarlet Johnson, Now Blogging Too

Maybe Flight Attendants Can Teach Courts Something about Overcoming Unconscious Bias

Posted on April 24, 2016 by richardzorza

I think there is pretty broad agreement that all of us who work in and with the court system that it could benefit to more mindfulness in dealing with unconscious bias. A recent article in the Washington Post by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Court Management, Discrimination, Judicial Ethics | Comments Off on Maybe Flight Attendants Can Teach Courts Something about Overcoming Unconscious Bias

UK Supreme Court Might Be Able to Teach US Court a Lesson on Urgency of Protecting Legal Aid

Posted on April 18, 2016 by richardzorza

Tomorrow, Tuesday the 19th, LSC and its friends will enjoy an invitation-only reception at the US Supreme Court following the LSC day at the White House, and to be addressed by Justice Kennedy, among others.  It is obviously a very … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Counsel, Discrimination, Immigration, International Models, Legal Aid, LSC, Supreme Court, White House | Comments Off on UK Supreme Court Might Be Able to Teach US Court a Lesson on Urgency of Protecting Legal Aid

On the Only Right Response to the Idea of US Government Making All Muslims Register

Posted on November 20, 2015 by richardzorza

Obviously, the recently partially apparently walked-back endorsement by a US Presidential candidate of the idea of making all Muslims register is truly obscene in the light of what such a requirement led to in the Holocaust. The answer to such … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Discrimination, Technology | 5 Comments

Both Disturbing and Humorous Piece on Ways Women Have to Present to Avoid Being Ignored

Posted on October 15, 2015 by richardzorza

Alexandra Petri  has a piece in the Washington Post which I find sadly disturbing on Famous quotes, the way a woman would have to say them during a meeting. Example: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Woman in a Meeting: … Continue reading →

Posted in Attorney-Client, Discrimination | 3 Comments

Presidential Memorandum on Access to Justice and Legal Aid Interagency Roundtale is Major Milestone in Creating the National ATJ Mosaic

Posted on September 24, 2015 by richardzorza

A big deal.  The President has put in place a Presidential Memorandum on access to justice and the Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable (LAIR).  This joins the Conference of Chiefs/COSCA 100% Resolution as the second huge piece in the national Mosaic … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to Justice Generally, Budget Issues, Discrimination, Funding, International Cooperation, Outcome Measures, Research and Evalation, Tools, White House | 6 Comments

The Nighmare of Website Bias — Lack of Specific Intent, And Hard to Prevent

Posted on July 12, 2015 by richardzorza

Back in the early civil rights days, the strongest argument against effective civil rights enforcement was the claim that employment discriminators, for example, were merely following the demands of the market when they hired the most “appealing” staff.  (For a … Continue reading →

Posted in Discrimination, Poverty, Technology | 1 Comment