L.A. Women Judges to Discuss Gender, Leadership and Justice Plus a Thought-Provoking Performance at Jewish Women's Theatre

Two prominent Los Angeles judges will be featured in Deborah's Daughters: Jewish Women Judges during Sunday Morning at the Braid, Jewish Women's Theatre's (JWT) performance and panel discussion event on Sunday, February 23 in Santa Monica from 10am to noon.

Hon. Renee Korn, L.A. Superior Court Judge and Hon. Angela J. Davis, L.A. Superior Court Commissioner will discuss their careers and bench activities during an in-depth interview about their professional accomplishments, legal decision-making and judicial philosophies. The event will also feature a light brunch, performance, and question and answer session. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased at: www.jewishwomenstheatre.org.

"This event is named Deborah's Daughters because Deborah is the only female judge in the Bible. She was the first to prove that leadership resides not in gender, but in character," explains Ronda Spinak, JWT's artistic director. "Our panelists are carrying on Deborah's tradition in their important work and I'm inspired by their stories."

"And because we are a theatre, our Sunday Morning at the Braid events always include a short performance related to our panel themes," said JWT's producing director Susan Morgenstern. "We'll open the morning's program with a great classic JWT piece: The Living Child in Two: A Drash on the Book of Kings 3:12 by Ronda Spinak and performed by JWT actress Jasmine Curry. This poignant and personal story describes the profound impact of divorce on mother and child, when their comfortable world unravels."

Judge Angela J. Davis, who presides over a family law courtroom, will be able to add an expert perspective to this personal story. Appointed in 2018, she became a judge after serving as a federal prosecutor specializing in complex white collar prosecutions for over two decades. Her numerous leadership positions have included service as President of California Women Lawyers, Vice President of the State Bar of California, and Chair of the Los Angeles Lawyer editorial Board.

In addition to her distinguished legal career, she has another talent that should be of great interest to JWT's theatre-going audience, for she is also an accomplished playwright. Davis was recently named one of the top 21 (out of 1200) for the Moss Hart and Kitty Carlisle Hart New Play Initiative. Her play, The Spanish Prayer Book recently ran for two months in Los Angeles and was an L.A Times "Best Bet."

A graduate of Stanford University, Davis has also taught at both USC and Southwestern Law School, from which she received the 2018 Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Fellow panelist Hon. Renee Korn also shines as a descendant of Deborah. She has served as a judge of the Superior Court since her appointment in July 2009. She previously worked as a Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles since 1990, where she specialized in the prosecution of police officers and worked as a sexual assault prosecutor.

Judge Korn regularly teaches fellow bench officers, and has been an instructor at New Judges Orientation. She has also worked with high school students, both as a mentor and as a mock trial coach. She currently sits in the Foltz Criminal Justice Center in DTLA, presiding over felony trials.

Judge Korn graduated with a B.A in political science and history from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She went on to earn her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law. She is also a frequent contributor to the Continuing Education of the Bar legal guide on the subject of hearsay.

The panel will be moderated by Maureen Rubin, J.D. and Emeritus Professor of Journalism at California State University, Northridge.

Sunday Morning at the Braid events are held at JWT's performance and art space, 2912 Colorado Ave., Suite 102 in Santa Monica. Deborah's Daughters: Jewish Women Judges will be held on Sunday, Feb. 23, from 10:00am to noon. Panelists Hon. Renee Korn, L.A. Superior Court Judge and Hon. Angela J. David, L.A. Superior Court Commissioner will discuss their careers and bench activities. The event will also feature a light brunch, performance, and question and answer session. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased at: www.jewishwomenstheatre.org.

Jewish Women's Theatre has been voted one of the "Best Live Theatres on the Westside" three years in a row by The Argonaut, stages and displays traditional and contemporary works and educational programming that provide a forum for the development, performance and showcasing of Jewish artistic talent. Now in its 12th season, JWT's salon theatre of original dramatic shows, each written to a specific theme, displays the diverse and eclectic community of writers, artists and creators who celebrate Jewish life, one story at a time. Learn more about JWT at: www.jewishwomenstheatre.org.

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