From Mills to the Bench Three alumnae carry their Mills experiences into judiciary careers that have continued long after most have settled into retirement. Words by Shelley Moench-Kelly ◊ Illustrations by Michael Wertz OR AN INSTITUTION WITHOUT A TRADITIONAL LAW SCHOOL,
increased dramatically. There are fewer glass ceil-
Mills College has produced a number of distinguished alumnae
ings,” she says. “It is also wonderful that we have
who have pursued careers in the legal world. Several of them have worked long and hard enough to be appointed or elected to the judicial bench.
the bench in California.” It took a few decades, though, for women to smash all the way through the widening fissures.
Their journeys all started with a Mills education, and the far-reaching influence of that opportunity, camaraderie, and freedom of expression has colored their personal and professional lives ever since. We recently caught up with three of
Barbara Zúñiga ’67 was appointed to the bench in 1985 after working for the Contra Costa District Attorney’s office—and thanks to encouragement from several judges and prosecutors who mentored her in her role as a court liaison officer
those alumnae and took a deep dive into their experiences
before she attended law school. “There were very
navigating minefields of a male-centric arena and the perspec-
few women on either the municipal or superior
tives that women bring to the bench. They’ve also witnessed the changing landscape for women judges—including a meteoric rise to the highest courts in the land. Some Cracks in the Ceiling
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a large cross section of the population sitting on
M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
courts,” she says, adding that the lobbying efforts of organizations such as the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) and California Women Lawyers were instrumental in getting more women appointed to the bench in California. Zúñiga later served as president of the former organization,
Glass ceilings are always at the forefront of any
and she echoes Shapiro’s observation, saying
dialogue over women in the workforce. Anita Rae
there is “greater overall diversity in terms of race,
Lavine Shapiro ’61 graduated with her law degree
ethnicity, sexual identity/expression, and disabil-
from the University of Pennsylvania in 1965 and
ity. We are better judges because of it.”
remembers women lawyers facing a lot of dis-
Jacki Brown ’74 explains that her class at Mills
crimination in the 1960s. One of her first jobs
was one of the “big, strong feminist groups,”
in the legal field was working as a senior judicial
with many joining the National Organization for
attorney for the California Courts of Appeal in
Women (NOW). “We were definitely taking on
Los Angeles. “I remember one job interview with
the role of breaking ground and being proud of
a major law firm in Los Angeles where the inter-
it,” she says. “Our lives were open and [we were]
viewer wondered out loud why his law school
capable of basically doing everything.” She adds
didn’t send him candidates as qualified as I was,”
that since graduating from law school in 1977
she says. “But, of course, I was not offered a posi-
and beginning her practice, she has seen vast
tion working as an attorney at his law firm.”
improvements. “Women now make up half of the
Despite antiquated restrictions, Shapiro says
legal community, due to a public push for women
that in the 56 years since she passed the bar,
to be appointed to the bench, to be represented
women have advanced dramatically in the field.
in corporate environments, and to hold leadership
“The opportunities for women in the law have
roles,” she says.
