Queering Precedent: A New OUTWORDS Podcast - The Outwords Archive Queering Precedent looks at the legal and political landscape through the eyes of LGBTQ+ elders and asks: how did we get here, and where do we go now? Get a jolt of hope, history, and how-to with the ...

theoutwordsarchive.org/queering-pre... I was interviewed for first episode.

Former archivist raises red flags over NARA cuts Former Archivist Colleen Shogan said the 10% cut proposed for NARA in 2026 will hamper the agency's mission and digital modernization efforts.

federalnewsnetwork.com/budget/2025/... Former archivist raises red flags over NARA cuts

Interview with Victoria Kolakowski

Monika Kowalska recently interviewed me for her blog, which has interviews with over 700 transwomen from around the world. She first approached me 13 years ago, and her persistence paid off! She has sites listing ~2000 bios and hundreds of documentaries.

theheroines.blogspot.com/2025/02/inte...

ABA honors LGBTQ+ luminaries with Stonewall Award The American Bar Association Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity honored Kristen Galles, founder of public interest law firm Equity Legal, California Superior Court Judge Victoria Kol...

I am honored to have received the American Bar Association's Stonewall Award this past weekend. Videos of our acceptance speeches are embedded in this story. www.americanbar.org/news/abanews...

I received the prestigious American Bar Association Stonewall Award at the ABA mid-year conference in Phoenix last night. The actual award will be shipped to me. The ceremony was recorded and I'll post a link.

I don't think I have made my standard disclaimer:
My position as a judge means I cannot comment on pending cases, give legal advice, or engage in political discussions. If it seems like I am doing any of those, it is not intentional.

Transgender Judges Remain Rare Despite Biden Diversity Push Victoria Kolakowski became the nation’s first openly transgender elected judge in 2011, and is heartened when people seek her out as a mentor or say she inspired them to practice law.

This article just went live, which quotes me extensively. I have one minor quibble, but otherwise, this is great. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

When we adopted her, the shelter said she did not have typical "tortitude." She is a darling, and very much a tortie.

She just spreads out…okay, she is. Stanley is a very large cat, though.

Stanley the cat in a USPS box.

Pepper the cat as she is surprised grooming herself.

We live with two cats - Stanley (who loves boxes) and Pepper (who usually avoids being photographed).

Social media can be fantastic for building community and sharing information. But over the years, some platforms became toxic, and I stopped posting on them. It wasn't because of politics—it was because the signal-to-noise ratio got too low. Let's keep things positive here.

And so am I. It was a lot lonelier for the longest time.

I've had an account for a while, but didn't use it because I only knew a few people here. Hopefully this can be a positive space for all the new arrivals. My standard disclaimer: Being a judge requires that I be apolitical and not discuss pending cases or controversies.