My oral argument last week was an historic moment in my legal practice: My panel consisted of three women judges. In ten years of practicing, and five of regular appellate arguments, I've never had more than one woman judge on the bench before me. Even when I was clerking, the most we ever had was two, when my judge sat with one of the two other women then on the Ninth Circuit. Further, my opposing counsel for this week's argument was also a women. I found myself almost giddy with excitement over this unprecedented - for me - experience.
On the morning of the argument, the lawyers gathered in the courtroom. It turned out that my opponent and I were the only women arguing that morning. Alas, it also turned out that one of the judges had a knee injury and was unable to travel to Denver, so would be participating in absentia.
Still, it was thrilling to see only female faces before me as my argument proceeded. Perhaps in another five years, such a panel will be so common as to be unremarkable.
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