Sixth Circuit Judge Meets with Students, Presides over Moot Court Competition

The Honorable Bernice Donald, a judge on the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and this year’s Jurist-in-Residence, spent two days at American University Washington College of Law this October meeting with students and sharing her insights on judicial decision-making.

Judge Donald, a longtime champion of equal justice, became the first female African-American judge in the history of Tennessee in 1982.

During her visit to the law school, Judge Donald spoke to more than 210 first-year law students, leading discussions on criminal justice issues and reforms, as well as challenges facing the federal courts.  

She also met and spoke with the leaders of the Black Law Students Association, held meetings with 20 faculty members, and was honored at a dinner with Chief Judge Richard Roberts of U.S. District Court in Washington and Judge Gerald Bruce Lee of U.S. District Court in Alexandria.  Justice Donald’s current and former law clerks, Erica Bakies ’15 and  Andrew Kim ’12, joined her at the dinner along with a number of student leaders and faculty.

“Our Jurist-in-Residence program gives students the unique and valuable chance to hear judges reflect on their own role and helps to demystify the process of judicial decision-making,” said Professor Stephen Wermiel, who organizes the annual program. “This can only enhance students’ understanding of judicial opinions.”

Judge Donald also answered questions about appellate advocacy and the work of the federal appeals courts at a workshop for 25 WCL Moot Court Honor Society students at the federal courthouse on October 17. Later that day, she served as presiding judge on the panel for the  Burton D. Wechsler First Amendment Moot Court Competition