Her Honor: My Life on the Bench...What Works, What's Broken, and How to Change It
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- Create Date：2021-10-26 19:21:09
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：LaDoris Hazzard Cordell
- ISBN：B08QGMN21Q
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Summary
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。
Judge Cordell， the first African American woman to sit on the Superior Court of Northern California， 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。
Cordell’s candid account of her years on the bench shines light on all areas of the legal system， from juvenile delinquency and the shift from rehabilitation to punishment， along with the racial biases therein， to the thousands of plea bargains that allow our overburdened courts to stay afloat - as long as innocent people are willing to plead guilty。 There are tales of marriages and divorces， adoptions， and contested wills - some humorous， others heartwarming， still others deeply troubling。
'HER HONOR' is for anyone who’s had the good or bad fortune to stand before a judge or sit on a jury。 It is for true-crime junkies and people who vote in judicial elections。 Most importantly， this is a book for anyone who wants to know what our legal system， for better or worse， means to the everyday lives of all Americans。
Judge Cordell， the first African American woman to sit on the Superior Court of Northern California， 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。
Cordell’s candid account of her years on the bench shines light on all areas of the legal system， from juvenile delinquency and the shift from rehabilitation to punishment， along with the racial biases therein， to the thousands of plea bargains that allow our overburdened courts to stay afloat - as long as innocent people are willing to plead guilty。 There are tales of marriages and divorces， adoptions， and contested wills - some humorous， others heartwarming， still others deeply troubling。
'HER HONOR' is for anyone who’s had the good or bad fortune to stand before a judge or sit on a jury。 It is for true-crime junkies and people who vote in judicial elections。 Most importantly， this is a book for anyone who wants to know what our legal system， for better or worse， means to the everyday lives of all Americans。
Reviews
Adri
，
I wasn’t ready for the rollercoaster when I started Her Honor by LaDoris Hazzard Cordell， a retired California Superior Court Judge。Her Honor Details the various cases that Cordell has presided over， and issues as well as people she’s faced in and out of court。 And in some ways， how it shaped her perspective。 Something I enjoyed is how she took the time to explain the history of many terms and procedures。 All of which were typically sandwiched between the cases that it related back to in each ch I wasn’t ready for the rollercoaster when I started Her Honor by LaDoris Hazzard Cordell， a retired California Superior Court Judge。Her Honor Details the various cases that Cordell has presided over， and issues as well as people she’s faced in and out of court。 And in some ways， how it shaped her perspective。 Something I enjoyed is how she took the time to explain the history of many terms and procedures。 All of which were typically sandwiched between the cases that it related back to in each chapter。 Since this was the majority of the book， the introduction， served its purpose well。 It mainly went into how she became a judge， what was enticing about it， and some of her background。 This let the rest of the book get on and do its thing。 As the synopsis states， it does “shine a light on all areas of the legal system…” Especially the countless difficult decisions that she and other judges had to make concerning heavy topics and/or complex situations。Overall I enjoyed Her Honor， and I recommend checking it out if your looking for a nonfiction court book that's very informative。I received this book from Celadon Books for this review。This review also appears on my blog Toile， Think， Go。 。。。more
Jessica Reads It
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In her memoir， Her Honor， Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell provides a thought-provoking insight into the black-robed women and men who preside in the state courts。 To say I felt a beacon of pride at seeing such a strong， enigmatic woman of color go on to become the first African American jurist in Northern California is an understatement。 Judge Cordell's transformative work throughout the courts is commendable， ranging from areas such as racial bias， family court matters such as marriage， divorce a In her memoir， Her Honor， Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell provides a thought-provoking insight into the black-robed women and men who preside in the state courts。 To say I felt a beacon of pride at seeing such a strong， enigmatic woman of color go on to become the first African American jurist in Northern California is an understatement。 Judge Cordell's transformative work throughout the courts is commendable， ranging from areas such as racial bias， family court matters such as marriage， divorce and adoption， and rehabilitation。 The case that stood out for me was from the juvenile court trial of Jessica T。 not because judge Cordells ruling was controversial but for her ability to take a calculated risk on a young girl with a reduced sentence。 This precious gift of a second chance allowed Jessica to reflect on the error of her ways after which she went on to graduate from college and live a crime-free life。 Judge Cordell's greatest accomplishment in my opinion is her steadfast desire towards continuous improvement of the legal system that lives up to the democratic principle of Justice for All。 Judge Cordell gives the good， the bad， and the ugly of the courtroom and gives readers a peek into her innermost thoughts on a multitude of cases showcasing her extensive work within the legal system。 For those unfamiliar with the legal system， or if you are a law school dropout such as myself， there is a plethora of knowledge on the internal operations of the bench told with Judge Cordell's sharp satire。 Judge Cordell's perspective offers a healthy dose of pragmatism that is sprinkled with an earnest desire for justice。 Despite all the negativity and the media frenzy surrounding some of her prominent cases she has kept persevered。 I enjoyed Judge Cordell's writing style that immediately put me at ease and felt as if I were chatting with her friend。 Her lessons can serve as inspiration for anyone interested in the legal profession or simply passionate about Justice for All。 Thank you to Celadon Books for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jon Nakapalau
，
After the murder of George Floyd we seem to hear the term 'social justice' echoed everywhere; but so often it is just that - an echo - bouncing off the marbled halls of a legal system that rings hollow to most 'reasonable persons。' Judge Cordell guides you through these halls; as the first African American woman to sit on the Superior Court of Northern California she is able to provide a 'behind the curtain' view of the most fundamental paradox in any legal system: the difference between ethics After the murder of George Floyd we seem to hear the term 'social justice' echoed everywhere; but so often it is just that - an echo - bouncing off the marbled halls of a legal system that rings hollow to most 'reasonable persons。' Judge Cordell guides you through these halls; as the first African American woman to sit on the Superior Court of Northern California she is able to provide a 'behind the curtain' view of the most fundamental paradox in any legal system: the difference between ethics and the law。 To me this is a 'how sausage is made' book: once you know what the ingredients used to make sausage are you may not find it as palatable the next time it is served。 Judge Cordell was also the Independent Police Auditor for the City of San Jose for five years （2010-2015） and this lends even more weight to her voice when she examines the systemic problems now facing our legal system。 Highest recommendation 。。。more
Terry Swindell
，
This book provides real insight into what goes on inside a courtroom as viewed from the bench。 Judge Cordell dispenses justice while maintaining compassion for both the victims and the accused。 Her cases were fascinating， but what I really appreciated was her commitment to making the justice system fair for everyone。 The case stories are frequently sad and sometimes shocking。 Many of the accused are seasoned veterans of the legal justice system， accumulating long criminal histories， which eventu This book provides real insight into what goes on inside a courtroom as viewed from the bench。 Judge Cordell dispenses justice while maintaining compassion for both the victims and the accused。 Her cases were fascinating， but what I really appreciated was her commitment to making the justice system fair for everyone。 The case stories are frequently sad and sometimes shocking。 Many of the accused are seasoned veterans of the legal justice system， accumulating long criminal histories， which eventually lands them in jail serving a life sentence。 The final chapter is a list of the problems that she has seen throughout her career， followed by her suggestions to address them。 My personal favorite is that judges should not be elected。 I listened to the audio book， and I really enjoyed listening to the author as the narrator。 Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in return for my honest review。 。。。more
Nima Morgan
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An extremely fascinating account of Judge Cordell's years on the bench。 Being able to learn all the ins and outs of the court system was very interesting。 This audiobook was read by the author， making it that much more intriguing。 Hope her recommended changes to the judicial system will be noticed by the people who are able to make those changes in the legal system。 Thank you for the ARC of this audiobook。 #NetGalley， #HerHonor， #McMillanAudio An extremely fascinating account of Judge Cordell's years on the bench。 Being able to learn all the ins and outs of the court system was very interesting。 This audiobook was read by the author， making it that much more intriguing。 Hope her recommended changes to the judicial system will be noticed by the people who are able to make those changes in the legal system。 Thank you for the ARC of this audiobook。 #NetGalley， #HerHonor， #McMillanAudio 。。。more
Sandie
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In 1982， Governor Jerry Brown named LaDoris Hazzard Cordell to be a judge on the Municipal Bench。 Cordell remembers her first ever case。 It was a small claims case and the participants were both African American women as was she。 The case concerned a claim of nonpayment for service by the plaintiff and the defendant claimed that the service， braids， was done sloppily and didn't deserve payment。 Judge Cordell had the women come forward and she checked the integrity of the braids herself。 Finding In 1982， Governor Jerry Brown named LaDoris Hazzard Cordell to be a judge on the Municipal Bench。 Cordell remembers her first ever case。 It was a small claims case and the participants were both African American women as was she。 The case concerned a claim of nonpayment for service by the plaintiff and the defendant claimed that the service， braids， was done sloppily and didn't deserve payment。 Judge Cordell had the women come forward and she checked the integrity of the braids herself。 Finding them lacking， she awarded the plaintiff a reduced amount and both women left satisfied。 In 1988， Judge Cordell won election to the Superior Court and served there until 2001， rotating through a variety of assignments。 She discusses such topics as juvenile cases， marriage， divorce， custody， adoption and name changes。 She discusses juries and their decisions， The judicial election process is discussed along with judicial misconduct and disagreements with rulings， which sometimes rise to the level of attempts to recall judges。 She discusses her time with rulings on mental cases， usually middle-aged women petitioning against involuntary confinement， or being forced into shock treatments or drugs with massive side effects。 Cordell talks about the three strike rule， it's disportionate effect on minority defendants and the whole plea bargain process which allows the courts to get through their huge caseload but often means innocent people plead guilty。 Cordell ends the book with suggestions on how the judicial system can be reformed。I listened to this book and the narrator was Cordell herself。 Her voice was the voice one would think of as a judge's; dispassionate， calm and logical。 One of Cordell's main points was the effect that her appointment as a minority woman had on the defendants who were amazed to see her there and given hope that someone like them was overseeing the process。 The cases she uses throughout are fascinating and the reader will gain more understanding of the judicial process than they had starting out。 This book is recommended for nonfiction readers， those interested in legal procedures and those interested in the story of a strong African American woman。 。。。more
Mallory
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I’m really grateful to Celadon books for sending me a copy of this book to read and honestly review。 I can’t say that it is a book I would have picked out for myself， but I greatly enjoyed it。 I had not heard of Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell， but I am glad she decided to share of piece of her story。 While it was not a memoir in the traditional sense it was a memoir of her life as a judge。 LaDoris Hazzard Cordell was the first African American female judge in the California Superior courts and I I’m really grateful to Celadon books for sending me a copy of this book to read and honestly review。 I can’t say that it is a book I would have picked out for myself， but I greatly enjoyed it。 I had not heard of Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell， but I am glad she decided to share of piece of her story。 While it was not a memoir in the traditional sense it was a memoir of her life as a judge。 LaDoris Hazzard Cordell was the first African American female judge in the California Superior courts and I found her experiences and perspective to be interesting。 While her essays and stories do educate about types of law or law principles I did not have a hard time following or feel that it was too dry for pleasure reading。 It did take me a little longer than normal to finish this book， but I think that is more about me and where I am than it is about this book。 I work in child welfare and have spent a fair amount of time either a party or audience in court and I thought she did a great job highlighting areas where we can continue to improve。 。。。more
Miya
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Inspiring， hopeful， and wonderfully necessary。 All the feels。 Snort laughing one minute and crying the next。 Just beautiful。
Lauren Mendez
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Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell shares her experiences being the first black woman to sit on the Superior Court of Northern California and describes experiences filled with justice， challenge， and a determination to impact the system。 This work reminded me of how our court system can be a deeply flawed system， that requires advocacy and change。 This work also reminded me that a judge’s discretion is incredibly powerful and consequential， and that there are decisions made in court that feel incredi Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell shares her experiences being the first black woman to sit on the Superior Court of Northern California and describes experiences filled with justice， challenge， and a determination to impact the system。 This work reminded me of how our court system can be a deeply flawed system， that requires advocacy and change。 This work also reminded me that a judge’s discretion is incredibly powerful and consequential， and that there are decisions made in court that feel incredibly unjust and heartbreaking particularly surrounding three strike laws， custody decisions， and cases involving problematic plea deals。 I received an arc of this work to provide my honest thoughts。 I would recommend this work。 。。。more
booksandbark
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Thank you to Celadon Books for the gifted copy。What a page-turner！ As a law school hopeful， Her Honor was an incredibly interesting primer on the legal system and judicial independence。 It was particularly interesting to hear Judge Cordell's point of view as the first Black woman judge in NorCal， at a time when the justice system was transitioning from being more rehabilitative to more punitive in approach。 I highly， highly recommend this book to any prospective law students。However， I did dock Thank you to Celadon Books for the gifted copy。What a page-turner！ As a law school hopeful， Her Honor was an incredibly interesting primer on the legal system and judicial independence。 It was particularly interesting to hear Judge Cordell's point of view as the first Black woman judge in NorCal， at a time when the justice system was transitioning from being more rehabilitative to more punitive in approach。 I highly， highly recommend this book to any prospective law students。However， I did dock one star because this book is rather dry。 If you're not interested in the law， or in a particular kind of law that Judge Cordell writes about， you will probably be bored。 Rather than a memoir of her life， Her Honor is similar in structure to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's book My Own Words， in that it is composed of a series of essays on various legal topics。 While she hints at her life as a single mother， a Black woman， and an LGBTQ+ individual （she does not label herself but was married to a man and is now in a long-term partnership with a woman）， that is certainly not the focus of the book。 As a result， it likely will not hold your interest if you are not a legal nerd like me。 。。。more
Cya_all_day_dream_about_books
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I thank Celadon Books for sending me ARC of this book。 LaDoris Cordell is the first African American female Superior Court judge of Northern California。 Prior to that she was an assistant Dean at Stanford University who started a program for minority recruitment and also had her own practice。Her book “Her Honor” gives us glimpses of the legal system through her experience as a judge。 Her experience in handling various issues and cases， ranging from divorce， adoption to murders are well documente I thank Celadon Books for sending me ARC of this book。 LaDoris Cordell is the first African American female Superior Court judge of Northern California。 Prior to that she was an assistant Dean at Stanford University who started a program for minority recruitment and also had her own practice。Her book “Her Honor” gives us glimpses of the legal system through her experience as a judge。 Her experience in handling various issues and cases， ranging from divorce， adoption to murders are well documented by her in this book。 Witty and humorous at times， her thoughts， way of handling， her own judgements and insights on the past and current laws and conclusions are described in her unique writing style。 Although I do not have any experience of the legal system， I did not find it difficult to follow the book， because she has written it for audiences from different backgrounds。 We always see legal system from our point of view， from this book， we realize what goes into the minds of the judges， how they have to balance between their own judgement， the case and uphold the legal system。 When I started reading this book， I wasn’t aware what I would come across， and must admit that I was overwhelmed but her her way of writing was what kept me going and I enjoyed this book。 I’m sure her experience and insights will be a good resource for students who would like to go ahead in legal system as their career options。 For others， this provides information that we may not come across otherwise。 I’m glad LaDoris Cordell decided to write her experiences which will help us learn a lot about legal system。 。。。more
Kristen Kristens。reading。nook
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Judge Cordell was the first Black woman appointed to the Superior Court in Northern CA。 This is her story of her life on the bench in various courts。 She shines light on what is broken and gives concrete examples of how they could be fixed。 Her stories explain her thought process throughout various types of cases。 Her hands were often tied when it came to sentencing， and she had to make decisions based purely on the sentencing requirements when she knew they were not what were fair or just for t Judge Cordell was the first Black woman appointed to the Superior Court in Northern CA。 This is her story of her life on the bench in various courts。 She shines light on what is broken and gives concrete examples of how they could be fixed。 Her stories explain her thought process throughout various types of cases。 Her hands were often tied when it came to sentencing， and she had to make decisions based purely on the sentencing requirements when she knew they were not what were fair or just for the defendant。 I enjoyed getting a view of the courtroom from the judge’s bench as it’s not something I’ve read before。 Thank you to Celadon Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Tima
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Thank you， Judge， for sharing your legal and judicial adventures。
Tanya Hansen
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Loved this book！！ It gave a great view of the California court system， that also included information on courts in other states as well as the SCOTUS and their roles in the justice system。 Wasn't bogged down with technicalities。 Easy to read and written with a humor that I have no one to compare to。 Loved this book！！ It gave a great view of the California court system， that also included information on courts in other states as well as the SCOTUS and their roles in the justice system。 Wasn't bogged down with technicalities。 Easy to read and written with a humor that I have no one to compare to。 。。。more
Nancy Shepherd
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Her Honor is the memoir of Northern California's first African American on the bench。 This book details the judge's decisions in cases where she had no training， no advisor。。。almost a judge-in-training situation。 I was absolutely fascinated by the cases Judge Hazzard-Cordell presided over and by her level-headed reasoning。 I received an ARC of the book free from Celadon Books， the publisher， through Goodreads。 Her Honor is the memoir of Northern California's first African American on the bench。 This book details the judge's decisions in cases where she had no training， no advisor。。。almost a judge-in-training situation。 I was absolutely fascinated by the cases Judge Hazzard-Cordell presided over and by her level-headed reasoning。 I received an ARC of the book free from Celadon Books， the publisher， through Goodreads。 。。。more
Ink_Drinker
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Judge Cordell was the first black woman to preside as a judge in the Superior Court of Nothern CA。 In her memoir， she provides behind-the-scenes accounts of her daily life as a Judge。 I’ve always been interested in the legal system and how it works。 So， if you are too and want an insider's perspective， you will learn so much by reading this book。 Judge Cordell writes with full transparency。 She shares the good and the bad cases that came across her courtroom along with the flaws that need to be Judge Cordell was the first black woman to preside as a judge in the Superior Court of Nothern CA。 In her memoir， she provides behind-the-scenes accounts of her daily life as a Judge。 I’ve always been interested in the legal system and how it works。 So， if you are too and want an insider's perspective， you will learn so much by reading this book。 Judge Cordell writes with full transparency。 She shares the good and the bad cases that came across her courtroom along with the flaws that need to be fixed in our justice system。 Her stories are very personal and honest and it was a truly eye-opening experience for me。 。。。more
CYIReadBooks （Claire）
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I’m generally particular when it comes to reading memoirs and biographies。 So when Her Honor arrived （to my surprise） in my mailbox from Celadon books， I was skeptical as to whether I would enjoy the book。 Was I ever wrong！From the start， beginning with the introduction， I was hooked。 Cordell certainly has a knack for writing in a way that is easy to understand。 It’s as if you were conversing with a friend。 Cordell deftly explains legal concepts， and goes further to describe her thought processe I’m generally particular when it comes to reading memoirs and biographies。 So when Her Honor arrived （to my surprise） in my mailbox from Celadon books， I was skeptical as to whether I would enjoy the book。 Was I ever wrong！From the start， beginning with the introduction， I was hooked。 Cordell certainly has a knack for writing in a way that is easy to understand。 It’s as if you were conversing with a friend。 Cordell deftly explains legal concepts， and goes further to describe her thought processes for her judicial decisions。Topics covered in the book run the gamut。 Some of the topics are marriage， divorce， criminal cases， probate， and my personal favorite， name changes。 With topics such as the above， Cordell introduces actual case files， describes the circumstances， offers her opinions， and finally how she ruled on each case。 Thoroughly intriguing。In addition to actual case file decisions， Cordell also details the shortcomings of the judicial system and offers ten possible solutions for creating a better system that is equitable for every American。Her Honor is a superb memoir and a definite must read for those readers interested in the court system， the legal doctrines behind the decisions， and how certain laws can have a detrimental effect in the outcomes。 Five stellar stars。I received a physical ARC from Celadon Books， and a digital ARC through NetGalley。 The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions。 。。。more
William Rham
，
“Her Honor” by Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell （Retired） is an excellent work of non-fiction， very instructive， and highly enjoyable。Judge Hazzard spent almost 20 years adjudicating cases in the California Municipal and Superior Courts。 “Her Honor” tells the story of that experience in very human terms。 It describes many of the cases Judge Hazzard heard， and explains what she thought， and thinks， about areas of the law that most often affect people in their daily lives （e。g。， criminal and juvenile “Her Honor” by Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell （Retired） is an excellent work of non-fiction， very instructive， and highly enjoyable。Judge Hazzard spent almost 20 years adjudicating cases in the California Municipal and Superior Courts。 “Her Honor” tells the story of that experience in very human terms。 It describes many of the cases Judge Hazzard heard， and explains what she thought， and thinks， about areas of the law that most often affect people in their daily lives （e。g。， criminal and juvenile law， marital and domestic law， estate and probate law， mental health law， and even how judges make it onto the bench）。 By extension， “Her Honor” illustrates for readers how and what other judges might feel and think and some of the factors that can affect the decisions they make。She is particularly adept at identifying problems within our judicial system and suggesting solutions for them。 Readers may not agree with every solution， but I thought all the solutions offered both thoughtful and thought-provoking。 For instance， she repeatedly suggests that we provide our judges with better training in the disciplines affecting the areas they’re assigned to （e。g。， judges adjudicating juvenile and mental health matters ought to have a solid grounding in psychology so that they can fully understand the testimony of experts， the consequences of expert recommendations， and even when an expert is selling them a bill of goods。）Judge Hazzard is a talented writer。 Her prose is clear， direct， easy to understand， and devoid of baffling “legalese。” And she manages to leaven her story， and the stories of some of the cases she handled， with a wonderfully dry and self-deprecating humor。In conclusion， a great book for all readers and especially for those interested in obtaining a better understanding of our laws and legal system and the judges who administer them。My thanks to NetGalley and the author and publisher for making this ARC available。 The foregoing review is my honest and independent opinion。 。。。more
Myla
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I absolutely love memoirs and this one is definitely one to remember！ I work with judges and attorneys everyday， but the judges are kind of "untouchable" where I work so it is so refreshing to hear things from a real judge's perspective。 Thoroughly enjoyed。 Thank you Celadon Books ❤ I absolutely love memoirs and this one is definitely one to remember！ I work with judges and attorneys everyday， but the judges are kind of "untouchable" where I work so it is so refreshing to hear things from a real judge's perspective。 Thoroughly enjoyed。 Thank you Celadon Books ❤ 。。。more
Susan Walker
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Loved this behind the scenes book on the life of a judge。 It shows what it took for her to arrive on the bench。
Tiffany
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Bravo to LaDoris Hazzard Cordell on her new memoir Her Honor: My Life on the Bench…What Works， What’s Broken and How to Change It。 A big Thank you to partner Celadon Books for the advanced copy。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book。 An incredibly thought-provoking memoir， that is brilliantly written with heartfelt empathy and truthfulness。 A book that provides amazing insight into a variety of real cases and difficult challenges that the author faced during her time on the bench as the first A Bravo to LaDoris Hazzard Cordell on her new memoir Her Honor: My Life on the Bench…What Works， What’s Broken and How to Change It。 A big Thank you to partner Celadon Books for the advanced copy。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book。 An incredibly thought-provoking memoir， that is brilliantly written with heartfelt empathy and truthfulness。 A book that provides amazing insight into a variety of real cases and difficult challenges that the author faced during her time on the bench as the first African American woman to sit on the Superior Court of Northern California。 In her book Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell not only shows that our court system is highly flawed， but she imparts feasible solutions and shows that there is a path forward to bring about the necessary change that is needed。 I highly recommend you add this excellent memoir to your reading list。•Book Synopsis: Judge Cordell， the first African American woman to sit on the Superior Court of Northern California， 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。 Cordell’s candid account of her years on the bench shines light on all areas of the legal system， from juvenile delinquency and the shift from rehabilitation to punishment， along with the racial biases therein， to the thousands of plea bargains that allow our overburdened courts to stay afloat—as long as innocent people are willing to plead guilty。 There are tales of marriages and divorces， adoptions， and contested wills—some humorous， others heartwarming， still others deeply troubling。Her Honor is for anyone who’s had the good or bad fortune to stand before a judge or sit on a jury。 It is for true-crime junkies and people who vote in judicial elections。 Most importantly， this is a book for anyone who wants to know what our legal system， for better or worse， means to the everyday lives of all Americans。 。。。more
Quinn
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Note: I won this book （an uncorrected proof） through a Goodreads giveaway。 Being given this book for free does not influence my judgment or opinion in any way。 Oh wow。 This was a book I didn't know I needed。 I had SO many gaps in my legal knowledge， and Judge Cordell's book filled those gaps。 For those of us who know about the law from what we've heard on television， this is a major help！ Judge Cordell's writing voice is so damn down-to-earth， and I loved that。 She told stories and shared legal Note: I won this book （an uncorrected proof） through a Goodreads giveaway。 Being given this book for free does not influence my judgment or opinion in any way。 Oh wow。 This was a book I didn't know I needed。 I had SO many gaps in my legal knowledge， and Judge Cordell's book filled those gaps。 For those of us who know about the law from what we've heard on television， this is a major help！ Judge Cordell's writing voice is so damn down-to-earth， and I loved that。 She told stories and shared legal cases and instances with language that a layperson can understand。 How appreciated！ She never toots her own horn to an extreme， but gives herself credit where credit seems due， and is just as good about admitting when she made wrong choices。 She calls out organizations， groups， and people by name （brave！） when she speaks her truth and judgments。 She poses that there are problems in the judicial system， and offers solutions。 It isn't just a manifesto of complaints。 She also points of what works， and why。 I found her to be a very fair， very balanced， very thoughtful thinker。 Very head， but with appropriate amounts of heart。 I would be honored to meet her some day。 。。。more
Donna
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⚖️ As someone who enjoys courtroom dramas， I was very interested Judge Cordell’s memoir。 She became the first African American woman judge in Northern California， a position she held from 1982 to 2001。 Her memoir takes us behind the scenes of a myriad of cases from drunk driving to murder。 She gives us insight as to what it’s like to have the future of another person’s life rest in our hands。 She has always judged with compassion， empathy and following the rule of law。⚖️ Judge Cordell shared her ⚖️ As someone who enjoys courtroom dramas， I was very interested Judge Cordell’s memoir。 She became the first African American woman judge in Northern California， a position she held from 1982 to 2001。 Her memoir takes us behind the scenes of a myriad of cases from drunk driving to murder。 She gives us insight as to what it’s like to have the future of another person’s life rest in our hands。 She has always judged with compassion， empathy and following the rule of law。⚖️ Judge Cordell shared her story with candor and wit。 There are cases that brought a smile to my face and others that were sad and heartbreaking。 I recommend this book to all who want to have a better understanding of how our legal system works， and the tough job our judges encounter every day。Thank you to @CeladonBooks for my #gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review; all opinions are my own。 。。。more
Kelly Hooker
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With candor and empathy， LaDoris Hazzard Cordell reflects on her career as the first Black jurist in Northern California in the memoir， 𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗥。This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look into her decades on the bench。 She shares a wide variety of cases ranging from the implausibly zany to the deeply heartbreaking。I could not tear myself away from these pages。 I don’t often read nonfiction books quickly， but this was an exception！ I found the stories of the people who entered her courtroom to With candor and empathy， LaDoris Hazzard Cordell reflects on her career as the first Black jurist in Northern California in the memoir， 𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗥。This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look into her decades on the bench。 She shares a wide variety of cases ranging from the implausibly zany to the deeply heartbreaking。I could not tear myself away from these pages。 I don’t often read nonfiction books quickly， but this was an exception！ I found the stories of the people who entered her courtroom to be completely engrossing。 She also provides succinct histories of various laws and how they disproportionately impact Black and brown people。I appreciated her insights as a Black woman seeking to leave a lasting impact in a field dominated by white males。LaDoris Hazzard Cordell acknowledges the American judiciary system is inherently flawed， yet she has devoted her life to making it more equitable。 In the final chapter， readers are invited to re-image the judicial system as she offers practical solutions to longstanding problems。I highly recommend this memoir if you enjoy stories of bold women making waves， or have an interest in the American judiciary system。𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: 4/5 ⭐️𝗣𝗨𝗕 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: October 5， 2021A big thank you to partner @celadonbooks for the gifted ARC of this book 。。。more
Daniel Cuthbert
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“Her Honor” is an interesting take on the power and limitations of the legal system， brought to you by an insightful writer and insider whose own personal stories of the cases that have come in front of her courtroom contribute to an overall sense of authority and passion for the arguments made within。 For those interested in law and politics done with an interesting spin， “Her Honor” would be a great choice！I received a review copy of this book from #Celadon Books in exchange for honest feedbac “Her Honor” is an interesting take on the power and limitations of the legal system， brought to you by an insightful writer and insider whose own personal stories of the cases that have come in front of her courtroom contribute to an overall sense of authority and passion for the arguments made within。 For those interested in law and politics done with an interesting spin， “Her Honor” would be a great choice！I received a review copy of this book from #Celadon Books in exchange for honest feedback。 Thank you so much Celadon Books！ 。。。more
Carin
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Judge Cordell was the first African-American woman on the bench in Northern California， and she’s also a lesbian， so she was just busting ceilings all over the place！ This is a series of essays on a wide variety of jurisprudence topics， over the course of which we learn a great deal about Judge Cordell， to the point where it’s also basically a memoir。 But mostly， it’s about the judicial system。She covers issues from sentencing children as adults in capital crimes， to mandatory sentencing， and wh Judge Cordell was the first African-American woman on the bench in Northern California， and she’s also a lesbian， so she was just busting ceilings all over the place！ This is a series of essays on a wide variety of jurisprudence topics， over the course of which we learn a great deal about Judge Cordell， to the point where it’s also basically a memoir。 But mostly， it’s about the judicial system。She covers issues from sentencing children as adults in capital crimes， to mandatory sentencing， and where those started， where we are now， and how to fix it。 She talks about her time covering the court where people who have been hospitalized in mental institutions against their will petition to be released–and how there is zero training for this。 （Luckily her partner is a social worker and had a DSM-V at home she could borrow but very few judges would have this resource。） She discusses how under-utilized the small claims court system is， and how it’s also a perfect place to be a training ground for future judges （see the aforementioned no training。） In fact she worked with a local law school and created a system where law students who thought they might want to be judges could sit on the small claims court bench （with her supervision）。 And it’s not all depressing stories–she also talks about her favorite days at court， which were the name change days （no sentencing anyone， and everyone’s really happy。） But on the other hand she talks about a calculated recall effort that was launched against her when she handed down some unpopular verdicts。Pluses and minuses， to be sure。 But I love that she doesn’t just point out the problems， but she also proposes solutions。 Very readable and accessible， so if you have a passing interest in the law， this is a great read。 。。。more
Booksandcoffeepleasemx
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𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨， 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨！A remarkable memoir narrated with some humor。 Filled with short stories about some of her cases， some sad， some troubling and even funny this book made me learn a lot of the US legal system。 A great reading experience。Thank you Celadon Books and Macmillan Publishers for this gifted copy。Her Honor by LaDoris Hazzard Cordell releases tomorrow October 5， 2021。𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘕𝘰𝘯-𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯， 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘪𝘳𝘴， 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴， 𝘓𝘢𝘸， 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴。https://www。instagram。co 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨， 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨！A remarkable memoir narrated with some humor。 Filled with short stories about some of her cases， some sad， some troubling and even funny this book made me learn a lot of the US legal system。 A great reading experience。Thank you Celadon Books and Macmillan Publishers for this gifted copy。Her Honor by LaDoris Hazzard Cordell releases tomorrow October 5， 2021。𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘕𝘰𝘯-𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯， 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘪𝘳𝘴， 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴， 𝘓𝘢𝘸， 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴。https://www。instagram。com/booksandcof。。。 。。。more
Kasa Cotugno
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LaDoris Hazzard Cordell， who earned her law degree from Stanford and had her own office in Santa Clara county didn't know what she was signing on for when she agreed to step in as a temporary judge in a municipal court in the early 1980's。 It turned out to be a case that involved only 2 other people besides herself -- two women in their late 20's， both African American。 They were locked in a dispute involving payment for work on hair。 Black women's hair。 This early part reminded me of Americanah LaDoris Hazzard Cordell， who earned her law degree from Stanford and had her own office in Santa Clara county didn't know what she was signing on for when she agreed to step in as a temporary judge in a municipal court in the early 1980's。 It turned out to be a case that involved only 2 other people besides herself -- two women in their late 20's， both African American。 They were locked in a dispute involving payment for work on hair。 Black women's hair。 This early part reminded me of Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie。 Evidently it was believed that a woman of color would be better suited to try such a case。 LaDoris then went on to become the first African American jurist in Northern California， serving in municipal and superior courts and putting into effect programs that have changed the methods in which justice is dispensed。 For the layperson， there is a lot to learn about the inner workings behind the bench， and with her wit and warmth and obvious care for people， she can add to her many accomplishments， writer。 。。。more
Drea
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Riveting！ I learned so much about the legal process and was captivated reading this book。 Judge Cordell is an incredibly-motivating， inspiring woman who is also an excellent writer and teacher。 The stories she shares are hard to stomach - but I appreciated her candor and extensive experiences。 Brava！ Excellent book - one I’m so grateful to have been gifted from Celadon Books。
Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader
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