Episode 217: Building the Bench
Judges. L. Joy has discussed their importance before in our “Who We Elect” series. Whether they are appointed or elected, local, state, or federal, judges are making decisions that affect our lives. But who gets to be considered for a judgeship? What role should citizens play in building a quality, diverse judicial bench? L. Joy has Holli Holliday back at the front of the class and she brought President of the National Bar Association Lonita K. Baker with her to answer those questions and much more, along with giving us the tools we need to build.
Homework:
Check out the National Bar Association, founded in 1925 & is the nation’s oldest and largest global network of predominantly Black American attorneys and judges. https://nationalbar.org/
When there is a judicial election in your area, reach out to your local bar association to find out if they give presentations and invite them to educate your community about candidates.
Support your local bar association.
Our Guests:
Holly Holiday: Check out her first time at the front of the #SundayCivics class Episode 203: Voting-Your Gateway Drug To Power https://www.sundaycivics.org/episodes/episode203
Holli L. Holliday is the Principal and J.E.D.I. Master at Holliday Advisors. Holli excels at the intersection of strategy, people and politics using her expertise to help clients find solutions to their challenges. Combining her unique experience as a practicing attorney, strategic planner, astute political operative and creative thinker to explore solutions that consider both process and people. In addition to providing expert level training and facilitation services to clients, she also specializes in applying technology to maximize system efficiency while utilizing a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) approach to ensure people are valued in their workspaces. Understanding how organizations work and people dynamics also gives her a unique perspective on connecting through digital content, including events, social media or streaming activities.
Holli is a proud Kansas Citian, who lives in the Washington DC Area. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, Freedom Inc, The Missouri Bar, and several other community based organizations. When not working she enjoys New Edition concerts, exploring new restaurants, cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs, and spending time with family, friends and her dog, Dinero.
Lonita K. Baker is the President of the National Bar Association. She serves as an Associate Corporate Counsel for Waystar Medical Technologies, Inc., following a notable career in personal injury litigation. Additionally, she previously served as an Assistant Jefferson County Attorney in the Legislative Services Branch of the Civil Division and as a Supervising Prosecutor in the Criminal Division. Attorney Baker began her legal career at the Louisville Metro Public Defender Corporation.
In 2020, Attorney Baker gained national attention in her representation of the family of Breonna Taylor. This case was one of the pivotal points in Attorney Baker’s career, resulting in a groundbreaking settlement with the City of Louisville, which included terms of police reform in addition to one of the most significant financial awards for an individual civil rights case to date.
Attorney Baker graduated from the University of Louisville in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and minors in Sociology and Pan-African Studies. She continued her studies at the University of Louisville at the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law, obtaining her Juris Doctor in 2006. In 2017, she received a Master in Business Administration with Distinction from the University of Louisville College of Business.
Attorney Baker has consistently shown her commitment to the legal community throughout her career. Attorney Baker served multiple terms as President of the Charles W. Anderson, Jr. Bar Association. She is the current President of the National Bar Association (“NBA”) after previously serving as a Vice President, Member at Large, Chief of Staff, and Chief of Communications. Attorney Baker has also served the Louisville legal community by serving on the Board of Directors for the Louisville Bar Association and as an adjunct professor at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. She is also the lead attorney for the Louisville Urban League Reily Re-entry Expungement Program.
Attorney Baker has received several awards for her service to the legal profession, including being named a Top 40 Under 40 Attorney by the National Bar Association (2015) and The National Black Trial Lawyers (2017), receiving four Presidential Awards from the National Bar Association (2016, 2017, 2019, and 2021), and being named the 2019 Justice Award recipient from the Louisville Urban League. In 2020, Attorney Baker earned recognition as a Top 40 Under 40 by Louisville Business First, a Wiley Branton Awardee by the National Bar Association, and the Daniel M. Alvarez Champion for Justice Award by the Louisville Bar Association. In 2021, Attorney Baker was awarded the Equal Justice Award by the National Bar Association. Attorney Baker is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
