All Rise: This Court is in Session

by Elizabeth Palmer '92

Which woman is likely to become a judge: a writer, a rehabilitative counselor, or a teacher? If you answered “all of the above” you are correct.

What might that judge say to a student of Trinity today who is considering becoming a judge someday?

“You are way ahead of me,” if the aforementioned judge is Rosemary Mayers Collyer ’68, Jeanette Jackson Clark ’70 or Patricia Broderick ’71.

Demonstrating the versatility and limitless potential of the liberal arts, three Trinity contemporaries are bringing literary, educational and sociological perspectives to the increasingly complex enterprise of justice in America. More than their majors, they bring diverse career backgrounds and interests, as well as unique career experiences to their current professional roles.

But none of them started out thinking that they would end up presiding over courtrooms, interpreting the law of the land and making choices every day that affect the nature and boundaries of freedom for individuals, and the larger community.

Not so long ago, they were brightening the halls at Trinity, preparing for exams and wondering which classes to register for the next semester.
Today, they preside over courtrooms, ensuring fairness and justice.

ROSEMARY MAYERS COLLYER ’68
Judge, United States District Court

Rosemary Mayers Collyer came to Trinity in the fall of 1964, having chosen, in her view, the best Catholic women’s college in the country at which to pursue her education. During her recent return to campus to be honored at Academic Convocation during Cap and Gown Weekend in September, she demonstrated her belief that she could make the same choice today, and for the same reason, and be just as happy and successful.


A woman of distinctive accomplishment herself, Judge Collyer let her enthusiasm for her own Trinity experience show in celebrating the accomplishments of the Class of 2004 and addressing them as the recipient of the Centennial Award for Alumnae Leadership.

“Value your time here, the things you learn, the people you meet,” she said. “Trinity is universal…you can take this experience anywhere.”

Collyer pursued a history degree at Trinity and planned a teaching career. After being accepted into the Ph.D. program at the University of Virginia, she deferred when her husband went into the military and the realities of the Vietnam War took precedence over career ambitions.

When the family moved to Denver, she worked in public relations and advertising as a writer, mostly for a group of psychologists who had developed programs to enhance business and personal interactions. They saw potential for Collyer in the law, but when one of them suggested she take the LSAT exam, she was initially resistant. Eventually, she took their advice to both take the exam and to apply to law schools.

Good advice, as it turns out. Collyer’s gifts for judicial wisdom emerged quickly and have fueled a distinguished career rich in public service.

Following graduation from the University of Denver College of Law in 1977 where she was a member of the Law Review, Collyer went to work. She was an attorney with the law firm of Sherman & Howard in Denver before moving into government service.

She was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan to serve as Chairman of the Federal Mine and Safety Health Review Commission (1981-1984), followed by the appointment to serve as General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (1984-1989). Both presidential appointments required confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

In 1989, Collyer joined one of Washington, D.C.’s largest law firms, Crowell & Moring, LLP, where as a senior partner she provided counseling and litigation services to clients in the labor and employment field, before being appointed by President George W. Bush to the United States District Court in January 2003.

Addressing the assembly at Academic Convocation at Trinity, Collyer identified the issues in her eyes most burdensome for today’s justice system, “Guns and drugs,” she said. “Stay away from guns and drugs.”

She advises Trinity students today to be flexible and open to new opportunities that may arise. For an interview with the Trinity Times in August of this year, Collyer wrote, “Don’t be too concerned if you are uncertain about a future career. You may have a series of jobs before you find your passion. But don’t stop at any old job. Jobs are real work and you will need to get personal satisfaction much more than a paycheck to keep you interested and really good at what you do. So search for that job you would find satisfying without pay, and then design a career from that.”

A confident speaker, she radiates authority without seeming authoritarian. It’s an almost parental quality that inspires trust. It is not difficult to imagine her up on the bench in her robes.

Then again, in her academic regalia at Convocation, it isn’t hard to see her as just another red class member, celebrating her class.

JEANETTE JACKSON CLARK ’70
Associate Justice,
District of Columbia Superior Court

A history major and president of her class at Trinity, Judge Jeanette Jackson Clark ’70 envisioned being a lawyer during her days at Trinity but chose education as a starting point for her career. She experienced at Trinity an educational model of small class sizes and a robust curriculum that she carried into her own classrooms.

“It was part of the mission to facilitate the educational experience of women and to be service oriented,” said Clark regarding both her Trinity experience and her career path in education and public service.

After graduation she taught in Sharon, Mass. and then pursued a Master of Science in Education. After completing her advanced degree at Wheelock University, Clark spent 10 years in education, returning first to teach at a Montessori School in D.C., followed by four years in the D.C. Public Schools.

A Washington native who attended D.C. Public Schools as a child, Clark returned first as a teacher for one year, then served as the Coordinator of the Early Childhood Education Program for three years, supervising the Head Start, Preschool and Kindergarten teachers and children in a D.C. Public Elementary School. She would then go on to teach at Sidwell Friends School for three years.
Though she enjoyed teaching, and says she still misses it from time to time, Clark felt that the law was “the best way to actualize my skills.”

She worked occasional weekends at a law firm, and eventually began pursuing her law degree part time in the evening at Catholic University before transferring to Howard University Law School full time.

While in law school, she worked for a law firm, for several federal and District government agencies, and for Howard University, and completed her JD in 1983.
After law school, Clark was a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Warren R. King when he was an Associate Judge at the D.C. Superior Court. King, now a retired judge of the D.C. Court of Appeals, would later swear her in at her own investiture. It was here that Clark got a glimpse of her own career future, though she didn’t know it at the time.

She then spent almost two years in private practice with the D.C. law firm of Steptoe & Johnson, and served as Assistant and Associate General Counsel to the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Deputy General Counsel to the D.C. Public Housing Authority before being named to the bench.

Hers is a soft-spoken authority. She loves this work and she takes it very seriously. You can see and hear echoes of the teacher when she talks about the responsibility to be well prepared for your cases and to make good choices.

Clark, who is married to Catholic University Law Professor Leroy Clark and has two stepsons, one of whom is a patent attorney, has maintained a strong bond with her alma mater, serving six years on the Board of Trustees, and supporting College events and fund raising efforts. She has also utilized Trinity students as volunteer judicial interns in her office.

She recommends internships for Trinity students in any career field and recalled her own internship on the Hill during her freshman year at Trinity.
“Washington is so full of opportunities for education beyond the classroom,” she said.

PATRICIA BRODERICK ’71
Associate Justice
District of Columbia Superior Court

Judge Pat Broderick was attracted to Trinity’s academic reputation, small size and women’s college environment, and felt it would be a good place to explore her Catholic faith further. Broderick first came to D.C. on a Girl Scout trip, but soon returned for the majority of her education and career.

“It (Trinity) was tougher than I expected…the first question was ‘where are you going to grad school?’ but it taught me to think,” said Broderick, who credits Trinity with helping her step out of her shell and engage in college life.

She was a junior and sociology major at Trinity in 1970 when an accident left her permanently confined to a wheelchair. “Confined” is hardly the word to describe this avid world traveler, recreational skier, and steward of justice, however.

Broderick took classes at Hofstra University during her rehabilitation and oriented herself to her new mobility challenges. Trinity, meanwhile, prepared for her return. When she re-matriculated, Broderick had keys to doors with wheelchair access, still quite limited at Trinity at the time, and permission to park near St. Joseph’s Circle.

“People made a real effort to make things work for me when I came back,” said Broderick, “and I still appreciate that.”

She completed her Trinity degree and went on to obtain a Master’s in Rehabilitative Counseling at George Washington University. Working as a probation and parole officer gave Broderick a chance to use her skills to help others find new and more successful paths. It was not long, however, before Broderick concluded that the law was her calling.

She completed her JD at Catholic University in 1981, and clerked for the Honorable Henry F. Green, the same judge who would later swear her in at her investiture.

After finishing her clerkship, Broderick purchased what was then called a “round-the-world” airline ticket, on which she could travel continuously as long as she kept going on the same direction. She embarked solo on a trip that took her to such diverse geographies as Europe and Southeast Asia.

Her travel bug temporarily sated, Broderick worked as a prosecutor, which she took to immediately. “I loved trying cases,” she said. “I loved feeling like the good guy, making citizens feel secure.”

She then moved on to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where she was part of federal anti-money laundering efforts. The job offered more opportunity for travel, particularly to South American and Caribbean countries.

The opportunity to transition from attorney to judge then arose five years ago, and Broderick embraced it.

Though the process was daunting and the job of a judge can be somewhat more isolating than that of a lawyer, Broderick said she loves her job.

“I was ready for the bench,” she explained. “I was ready to take in and listen, to resolve rather than advocate.”

Like most judges, Broderick adjudicates a hefty caseload. Asked to opine the greatest challenge to the justice system today, she says it is the lack of city resources. People referred to diversion and counseling programs can face daunting waits for placements to become available, limiting their ability to find jobs and housing in the interim. Many, as a result, find themselves recycling through the criminal justice system as they await court-ordered treatments.

Her advice to Trinity students thinking of a career in law? “Believe in yourself.”

“I know they say there are already too many lawyers in the world, but there is always room for one more good one. And there are so many areas of law; there is something to fit each person.”