Judge Ellsworth Speaks with Orange County Chapter about Gender Bias

On April 8, 2011, the Orange County Chapter of the JRCLS hosted a luncheon at which the Honorable Sherrill A. Ellsworth spoke to a rapt audience on the subject of "Gender Bias and Women in the Law". In a fascinating and comparative manner, Judge Ellsworth discussed gender bias issues as they occur both in the legal profession and also within the Church. She illustrated her comments with many personal experiences she has had throughout her legal career, beginning as a young professional and continuing up through her present time on the Bench. Judge Ellsworth also contrasted those experiences in the professional world with those she has experienced within the Church itself, including pointing out that members of the Church of both genders are in no way immune from the concerns expressed.

In order to make this significant presentation available, the text of Judge Ellsworth's speech is being reformatted for inclusion in an upcoming issue of The Clark Memorandum. In addition, since the Orange County Chapter videotaped the entire presentation, the JRCLS is currently working to make that videotape available for use by other JRCLS Chapters which may wish to view and study this important topic.

Judge Ellsworth comes with a very impressive pedigree. She currently is the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Riverside, one of the largest and busiest State Courts in California. Judge Ellsworth was first appointed to the Bench in 1996 as a Commissioner, and then became a Judge in 2005. She is very involved with judicial education and has served as faculty both nationally and locally since 2000, including, for example, serving as a member of the California Judicial Council's Violence Against Women Education Project Committee, and on the California Judicial Council's Family and Juvenile Advisory Board. Judge Ellsworth was named the American Business Woman's Association Woman of the Year in 1999 for Judicial Leadership. Of particular note is the fact that Judge Ellsworth is believed to be the only currently sitting LDS female judge in California.

By Jeff Shields
 

Posted: May 31, 2011