• The Nevada Supreme Court has invited Todd Brower, director of the Judicial Education Program at the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, to teach a webinar on using pronouns and handling gender identity in the courtroom.
• According to training materials obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, the July 2023 course will teach judges “the use of terminology, pronouns, and names to increase access for transgender and gender nonbinary people in court.” He was taught to “recognize and consider”
• “It is inappropriate for public courts to take ideological positions on these issues and, through their influence, to impose them on litigants, lawyers and judges within the system, and is indeed a violation of the rights of conscience. ” said Carrie Severino. the president of JCN, a conservative legal advocacy group, told DCNF.

The Nevada Supreme Court hosted a one-time course to teach judges how to use pronouns and incorporate gender identity awareness into the courtroom, according to training materials obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“Transgender and Gender Nonbinary People in Nevada Courts: Practical Tools and Best Practical Tools in Nevada,” said Todd Brower, director of the Judicial Education Program at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. Taught a July 2023 course for Nevada judges entitled “Practice''. judgement. According to a slideshow obtained by DCNF through a public records request, the training included data on sexual orientation in the state, a primer on gender terminology, and an overview of hypothetical scenarios involving transgender litigants who may appear in court. It is said that it was taken up. (Related: 'Diversity' activist asks court to train judges on preferred pronouns and gender identity)

“This fits into a recent pattern of left-wing dark finance groups seeking to use formal court structures to advance their woke agenda,” said Carrie Severino, president of JCN, a conservative legal advocacy group. told DCNF. “It is inappropriate for public courts to take ideological positions on these issues and, through their influence, to impose them on litigants, lawyers and judges within the system, and is indeed a violation of the rights of conscience. ”

A spokesperson for the Nevada Supreme Court said that neither Mr. Brower, the Williams Institute nor the UCLA School of Law received compensation for the webinar.

Although this training was not mandatory, Nevada district and municipal court judges are required by law to receive 13 hours of continuing legal education per year, including at least two hours of ethics training. according to according to your requirements. This one-time training on LGBTQ issues provided judges with 1.5 continuing education credits in ethics, according to the course description.

It is unclear how many judges received the training.

“LGBTQ people, especially transgender and gender non-binary people, are increasingly appearing in Nevada courts as litigants, witnesses, and attorneys,” the course description says. “In fact, according to CDC data, transgender people make up 0.34% of adults 18 and older in Nevada and 1.67% of Nevada youth ages 13-17, or 11,400 transgender people. .”

This course covers “the latest demographic research characterizing LGBTQ people in Nevada and across the nation” and identifies the likelihood that those issues will show up in court. It also instructs judges to “recognize and consider the use of terminology, pronouns, and names to increase access for transgender and gender nonbinary people in the courtroom.”

The Administrative Office of the Court's Judicial Education Division coordinates training that covers “a wide range of subjects, from specific substantive and procedural areas of law to law and literature, management, communication, and professionalism.” according to Go to the court website.

The training itself recommends against using gender-specific titles such as “sir” or “ma'am.” It also suggests that judges ask litigants their pronouns on sign-in sheets and use their own pronouns when introducing themselves.

The slideshow depicts various scenarios involving transgender litigants. In one situation, a “self-styled litigator with a feminine hairstyle and wearing a dress, high heels, and lipstick” is listed as Lawrence Thompson, but she asks to be called Laura Thompson. .

“Suppose you decide that this person should be called Laura Thompson and that she should be referred to using feminine pronouns throughout the process, and you have notified everyone,” the presentation states. “But the opposing attorney calls this person Lawrence and uses male pronouns. What, if anything, would you do?

Last year, California's Santa Cruz Superior Court offered similar training for judges on gender identity in the courtroom, where Brower also spoke. This training was put together by DEI speaker Tristan E.H. Higgins, who told DCNF that she provides this and other training to San Diego courts as well as many other legal organizations. He said he is doing so.

Mr. Browder did not respond to requests for comment.

All content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan news distribution service, is available free of charge to legitimate news publishers with large audiences. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and DCNF affiliation. If you have any questions about our guidelines or our partnership, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.