Santa Clara University and its School of Law hosted the 13th Annual Judge William Ingram Symposium at the Recital Hall on January 10, 2017.
This year’s symposium addressed the issues of the importance of an impartial and independent judiciary and the accountability to the public of judges and judicial officers viewed through the lenses of recall or impeachment and judges’ retention campaigns.
The Symposium featured two national experts on the roles and responsibilities of judges in our society with special expertise in the areas of judicial accountability and independence of the judiciary:
- Erwin Chemerinsky is Dean and Raymond Pryke Professor of First Amendment Law at University of California-Irvine School of Law. He is a noted constitutional law scholar and teacher and has written often on the importance of an independent judiciary.
- Penny White is E.E. Overton Distinguished Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Advocacy & Dispute Resolution at University of Tennessee. She is a former Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court and has published articles on judicial independence, election of judges and the role of money in elections.
- Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law Donald Polden served as program moderator.
The program attracted lawyers, judges and public participants who are interested in this important topic of public interest. There are several reasons why this is a timely and important topic: Popular election of many state judicial positions has encouraged greater public oversight of judicial conduct and monitoring of judges’ decisions, but it has generated significant social costs. Bitter, high profile campaigns against the retention of sitting judges and acrimonious recall campaigns have created a national debate about, on the one hand, the importance of the accountability of judges for their conduct and decisions and, on the other hand, the critical importance of an environment for independent decision-making by judges.
The Symposium was co-sponsored by the Judge William Ingram Inn of Court and the Heafey Center for Trial and Appellate Advocacy at Santa Clara University School of Law.
From left: Penny White, Donald J. Polden, Erwin Chemerinsky.
