Women's Leadership Institute Future Plans

The Women’s Leadership Institute is returning from its hiatus. We specifically focus on women developing careers within the American Justice System. Helping attorneys, prosecutors, and judges further their careers in becoming effective and powerful leaders. In 2024, in response to an outpouring of requests, we will look to incorporate leadership opportunities for women leaders in other industries, in particular women in technology, cyber, and digital identity.

Women's Leadership Institute Training Outcomes

Interested in new training venues and hybrid educational events.

Women attorneys in leadership as elected prosecutors and judges are a profound force to increase the competency and capability of the American justice system. Women leaders are exceptional at balancing the dual purposes of protecting the innocent and holding the guilty accountable. There is a critical need to build the capacity off women attorneys in a nonpartisan setting to run for political office or apply for appointed judicial positions.

The hard work and commitment of women attorneys, whether as career prosecutors or in other public service careers, is what is needed to bring positive change and growth to the nation’s courts. Women attorneys are encouraged to identify and hone the skills required to compete for political office whether by election or appointment. Partners are encouraged to lift up women leaders and build their capacity to take on larger and more powerful leadership roles in their community.

A Passionate Group of Presenters

The faculty will be led by Kay Chopard Cohen, President and CEO of Chopard Consulting and former Executive Director of the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA). Ms. Chopard Cohen has developed innovative prosecutorial and judicial education programs for 30+ years.

The faculty will be nonpartisan but made of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Members of the faculty will include sitting and retired trial and appellate court judges, women currently serving as elected prosecutors, and women in prosecution and judicial leadership positions around the country. Click here to see our impressive list of conference presenters.

The training design for the 2.5 days will deliver a combination of intensive large and small group sessions, beginning Friday afternoon and ending Sunday afternoon. It will include plenary sessions on topics pertinent to all candidates; breakout sessions focused specifically on elected prosecutors or elected judges or appointed judges; roundtable discussions; plenary panel discussions; and networking events each day. Materials will be provided electronically including power points, relevant articles, case law, and relevant ethical rules. Follow-up to the Women’s Leadership Institute will include quarterly Zoom calls, conference calls, individual coaching, and relevant articles, blogs, and newsletters. Meet-ups will be held regionally until the next annual Women’s Leadership Institute.

Class size is limited to the first 75 participants. Registration is available nationwide. The registration fee is used to defray faculty and meeting location expenses.

Conference Intended Outcomes

After participating in the 2.5-day intensive Institute, prosecutorial and judicial candidates will be able to:

  • Outline and run an effective election campaign (for election states);
  • Outline ways to prepare for, and participate in, judicial selection processes effectively (for states in which judges are appointed);
  • Define “dark money” and assess how candidates can avoid this and other ethical traps in judicial and prosecutorial elections;
  • Describe the political landscape for elected prosecutors and trial court judges in the United States;
  • Define how candidates should conduct themselves on social media and in public as they prepare to enter either an elected office position or the judiciary;
  • Differentiate between the perceptions of the judicial or prosecutorial role and reality;
  • Describe the responsibilities of judges and the responsibilities of elected prosecutors;
  • Summarize the impact of the judicial role or the prosecutorial role on their personal and professional lives;
  • Apply judicial ethics rules and elected prosecutor ethics rules to their circumstances (e.g., restrictions on investments, fundraising, exclusive memberships, professional associations, friendships, bar association activity, family members, gifts, writing recommendation letters, running a campaign, seeking appointment, commenting on specificcases or cases likely to come before the elected official);
  • Manage public pressure about decision-making and prosecutorial discretion or judicial discretion;
  • Identify strategies to overcome exclusionary practices for women of color in leadership;
  • Serve with confidence and courage.
REGISTRATION CURRENTLY CLOSED
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State & Federal Court Judges in the U.S. are Women