Without Her Robe, Female Judge Was Often Mistaken For Assistant
Assumptions like this only contribute to sexism in the legal profession.
Judge Bronwyn Miller (Photo via Florida Third District Court of Appeal)
Oftentimes, my door would be open and attorneys would inform me that they were there to check in and ask if Judge Miller was here yet. Then I would walk into the courtroom for the hearing, and the look on their face was general astonishment. I would receive effusive apologies.
Because you’re female and you’re standing there and you’re not wearing a robe, the assumption is that you’re a judicial assistant.
— Florida Third District Court of Appeal Judge Bronwyn Miller, commenting on the fact that she was often mistaken for being a judicial assistant when she served on the bench on the Miami-Dade Circuit earlier in her career. Miller became a judge at just 32 years of age, and she says some people in her courtoom told her she wasn’t old enough to be a judge. “I’m not sure they would have said that to a male judge,” she said.
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.
