North Dakota District Judge Donovan Foughty recently moderated a national panel on a program sponsored by the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ). The event took place on May 8, 2024, and was titled “Microaggressions: Part 2, When the Judge Commits the Microaggression”.
The panel featured several distinguished members of the judiciary including Hon Lisa White Hardwick from the Court of Appeals, Western District, Missouri; Hon Jenifer Ashford, District Magistrate Judge from the 10th Judicial District Kansas; Hon Josie Garton from the Superior Court, Third Judicial District, Alaska; and Hon. Jeffery Locke, retired Chief Justice of the seven Massachusetts Trial Courts.
The program aimed to provide practical tips and strategies for managing situations where a judge commits a microaggression. It was organized under the auspices of the NAWJ Ensuring Racial Equity in the Judicial System Committee and the Fairness and Access Committee.
Judge Foughty has a long history of working towards racial and ethnic fairness in judicial systems. He co-chaired the North Dakota Commission to study Racial and Ethnic Bias in courts, which delivered its final report to the North Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice in June 2012. He also served as chair of the Minority Justice Implementation Committee.
Currently, Judge Foughty is President of the board of directors for the National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in Courts. The Secretariat for this consortium is managed by the National Center for State Courts. Additionally, he sits on both the Justice Commission for Three Affiliated Tribes in North Dakota - an advisory group to their court system - and on the advisory board for Spirit Lake Tribe Senior Services Elder Protection Program. As well as these roles, he is also currently serving as Presiding Judge for Northeast Judicial District with chambers located in Devils Lake, ND.