Accepting Applications: Minnesota Judicial Council Committee for Equality and Justice

I recently received this posting below from a colleague, with an open call to serve on the newly approved Minnesota Judicial Center Committee for Equality and Justice. See below for a description of the work of this body, and to further peruse other opportunities for public service in the state of Minnesota, see the Secretary of State's website regarding Open Commissions and Appointments with a monthly listing of current vacancies.

In June 2010, the Minnesota Judicial Council approved the creation of a new advisory committee, the Committee for Equality and Justice. The Committee was established to advance the Judicial Branch's efforts to eliminate from court operations bias that is based on race, gender, ethnicity, age, disability, socioeconomic status, religion, sexual orientation, and any other status protected by law. The Committee is charged with:

• Ensuring equal access to the courts and a fair and impartial courtroom;
• Providing fair treatment of court users and employees;
• Recommending education programs and course materials for judges and Judicial Branch employees;
• Continuing to implement and monitor the recommendations of the Minnesota Task Force on Gender Fairness in the Courts (read the Task Force Final Report);
• Continuing to implement and monitor the recommendations of the Race Bias Task Force (read the Task Force Final Report);
• Promoting diversity in the appointments to Judicial Branch committees and boards to reflect the population served by the Judicial Branch;
• Promoting diversity in the selection and retention of court employees to reflect the population served by the Judicial Branch;
• Promoting diversity in the selection of judges to reflect the population served by the Judicial Branch; and
• Promoting a high level of trust and public confidence in the judicial system.

Membership for the Committee for Equality and Justice must reflect geographic and demographic diversity and will not exceed 30 members. Members of the public, justice system partners, attorneys, court staff, and judges are encouraged to apply. Specific questions about membership on the committee may be directed to Janet Marshall at 651-297-7579 or janet.marshall@courts.state.mn.us, or to Kim Larson at 651-282-6769 or kimberly.larson@courts.state.mn.us. To be considered for appointment, submit a letter of interest and resume to: Minnesota Judicial Council Committee for Equality and Justice Attention: Janet Marshall 25 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Suite 135 St. Paul, MN 55155 The application deadline is Friday, Sept. 17, 2010.