“It is up to the next generation of voters, politicians, activists, layers, law professors, and judges to continue to clear the path to a more perfect union.”  

 

Insightful and thought provoking.  In Her Honor, Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell gives a candid account of her years on the bench that reads like a primer on the justice system and memoir combined.  

 

But don’t be misled.  This book is neither boring nor full of legalese.  Cordell is snarky and smart, and she’s seen it all in her time as a jurist.  In this book, she lays everything bare.  As she relays anecdote after anecdote, it felt as though I was out with a friend listening to the struggles and oddities of her work.  Some stories bring tears.  Others outrage.  And some full on belly laughs.  

 

But these case files don’t just evoke emotion.  They also create a call to action.  There are many things in our legal system that work.  But in order to create that more perfect union, changes are necessary.  In the last chapter, The Fix, Cordell uses her experience to outline 10 suggestions for reform.  

 

As the first African American woman to sit on the bench of the Superior Court of Northern California, her transformative work leaves a lasting impact.  

 

Many thanks to Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell and Celadon Books for this #gifted copy.  It was a delight to read.