Self-Awareness and Development of Leader Self-Identification During Ascension to Judgeship: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Black Women Judicial Leaders

Self-Awareness and Development of Leader Self-Identification During Ascension to Judgeship: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Black Women Judicial Leaders

Meghan N. Rivers | 2023

Abstract 

In 2022, Black women occupy a special place in the American judiciary and their occupation, leadership, and relevance as judges, beyond a mere demographic head count, are largely unexamined and misinterpreted. Within an interpretative phenomenological study of nine Black judicial leading women serving as active state or federal judges, this study answered three inquiries: What are the lived experiences that contributed to the success of Black women’s ascendancy from attorney to judicial leadership (judgeship), what factors contribute to the engagement experience and cognitive framework of Black women judges in their respective leadership roles in the judiciary, and to what degree does the culture within the judiciary and values within the legal profession impact the career progression of Black women? The literature review revealed that this investigation serves as a genesis for thorough empirical investigation of judiciary leaders representing this marginalized demographic. The findings indicated that these unique judicial leaders exhibited strong leader identity recognizing exceptionality within formative years. Established and realized self-identity of both leadership and minority identity, along with a strong desire to serve, exist as primary themes within this investigation. This and other nuanced thematic findings are presented within four categories: (a) the disposition, (b) the periphery, (c) the robe, and (d) the relationships. Overall, this study revealed multiple factors influencing Black women’s lived experiences of ascension from the attorney to state or federal judgeships.