Roadways to the Bench: Who Me? A Bankruptcy or Magistrate Judge?

The federal Judiciary, led by the Judicial Conference Committees on the Administration of the Bankruptcy System and the Magistrate Judges System, will hold the second iteration of the national diversity event for law students and attorneys, "Roadways to the Bench: Who Me? A Bankruptcy or Magistrate Judge?"

• Save the date for April 3, 2023, at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT at 38 locations across the United States

The event will begin with a national panel discussion, then move into local roundtable sessions at which participants will have the opportunity to interact with federal judges. The program is limited to current law students and attorneys.

National Panel Presentation

First, four federal judges will engage in a panel discussion, live-streamed from Washington, D.C. to the other 37 event locations, about their respective roadways to the federal bench. Judge Carl E. Stewart (Fifth Circuit) will moderate the panel. The panelists are:

• Judge Stephanie Dawkins Davis (Sixth Circuit), who previously served as a district judge from 2019 to 2022 and as a magistrate judge from 2016 to 2019
• Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain (New York-Southern), who previously served as a bankruptcy judge from 1996 to 2000
• Bankruptcy Judge Kesha Lynn Tanabe (Minnesota)
• Magistrate Judge Mustafa T. Kasubhai (Oregon)

Local Roundtable Sessions

After the national presentation, the program will proceed to in-person local roundtable sessions among law students, attorneys, and federal judges from the surrounding area. Many locations will also hold receptions following the roundtables.

Event Locations and Contacts

Contact a local attorney co-chair (doc) for more specific information about a particular location, including registration questions. As a general matter, advance registration is required and will be managed locally. The registration window is expected to open in early 2023. Registration and attendance in all cities is limited to attorneys and law students. 

Diversity Matters

The “Roadways” event aims to further the judiciary’s goal of casting a wide net to attract the broadest possible pool of qualified applicants from which to select new bankruptcy and magistrate judges. This goal aligns with the Strategic Plan for the Federal Judiciary and specifically Issue 4, Strategy 4.1, and the Core Value of Diversity and Respect, which highlight diversity because it promotes public confidence that the judicial system is fair and objective.