Judges weigh in on diversity at Federal Bar Association confab

A panel comprised entirely of judges discussed the importance of judicial diversity at an event hosted by the Inland Empire chapter of the Federal Bar Association earlier this month. Panelists included, from left, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Raquel A. Marquez, state Court of Appeal Justice Carol D. Codrington, San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Tony Raphael, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenly Kita Kato, and U.S. District Judge Jesus G. Bernal. Ami Sagel, the chapter's president, said a problem highlighted by the panel was that diversity among federal judges has recently sagged despite California's strides forward in the area. "It's a hot topic in California," Sagel said. "It's a key issue."

-- Steven Crighton