A Conversation with Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell

Posted: October 8, 2021


Tuesday, Oct. 26, 6 p.m.
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Students, faculty, and staff: for free tickets, log in here with your SU credentials. 

In “Her Honor,” Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell provides a rare and thought-provoking insider account of our legal system, sharing vivid stories of the cases that came through her courtroom and revealing the strengths, flaws and much-needed changes within our courts. 

The first African American woman to sit on the Superior Court of Northern California, Judge Cordell knows firsthand how prejudice has permeated our legal system. And yet, she believes in the system. From ending school segregation to legalizing same-sex marriage, its progress relies on legal professionals and jurors who strive to make the imperfect system as fair as possible. 

“Her Honor” is an entertaining and provocative look into the hearts and minds of judges. Cordell takes you into her chambers where she haggles with prosecutors and defense attorneys and into the courtroom during jury selection and sentencing hearings. She uses real cases to highlight how judges make difficult decisions, all the while facing outside pressures from the media, law enforcement, lobbyists and the friends and families of the people involved.

Presented by Seattle University College of Arts and Sciences, Criminal Justice, Criminology & Forensics Department; SU School of Law; SU Black Law Student Association; Elliott Bay Book Company; and Northwest African American Museum.