NEW YORK CITY — It was a historic moment for New York’s legal landscape on Feb. 20, as the first-ever fireside chat of Black men leading at the highest level in their respective courts took place in the courthouse rotunda at 60 Centre Street in Manhattan.
The program, “Conversations with Black Men in Black Robes: Leading the Judiciary,” featured a panel that included New York Court of Appeals Chief Judge Hon. Rowan Wilson; U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, Judge and the first Haitian American Article III federal judge in U.S. history, Hon. Raymond Lohier; First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Hon. Norman St. George; and New York County Commissioner of Jurors Hon. Milton Tingling.
The event was co-sponsored by the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association (BWBA) and the Caribbean American Lawyers Association in honor of Black History Month.
Hon. Cenceria Edwards, BWBA’s president, told the Brooklyn Eagle that it is important that people understand the importance of the contributions that African Americans had and still have within the judiciary.
“It’s also a message to other people of color that, ‘I can do this,’ which sets a path for others to follow,” Edwards said.
The program — moderated by Phil Taitt of WABC News — spoke to the lack of diversity in the judiciary early in their careers, obstacles faced and how their experiences have shaped them into who they are today.
“In my law school, the number of people of color there was very low,” explained Hon. Rowan Wilson. “There was a real lack of diversity.”
However, Wilson pointed out that what ultimately made a significant difference in his career path was when he applied for courtships.
“After that, I had some great mentors, and that was a game changer,” he added, noting that Hon. James Browning, chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, was one of the more unforgettable ones…