Evening star., 1939-08-27
Court Cares Fail to Toint
Judge Roedy's Feminine Charm
Finds Confirmation
Of Efficiency Of
Woman Jurors
BY GRETCHEN SMITH.

Four years on the bench and over
a decade of practice at the bar have
in no way detracted from the femi-
nine charm and the sympathetic
understanding of Judge Ellen K.
Raedy of the Municipal Court. Her
contact with the problems and per-
plexities of others, brought before
her daily in the austere room of the
Municipal Court, have not effected
the callous or "hard-boiled" outlook
on life, which so often persons
thrown in contact with the seamy
side of life, build up in self defense.
On the contrary, there is warmth
and kindness about the youthful
judge which makes it difficult to be-
lieve she has filled such a difficult
role for such length of time. The
first and only woman Judge of the
District Municipal Court, Judge
Raedys modest and unassuming
manner makes one realize that the
honor bestowed on her in her ap-
pointment to the bench was in no
way misplaced.
Perhaps keen sense of humor,
inherited from her Irish forebears,,
has saved her in many trying situa-
tionS, which might have brought
about less cordial and more formal
attitude towards those she meets
both in her professional and social
life. The judge attributes much OF
the success which she has met since
first hanging out her shingle in
Washington, to the fact that March
II was the date that she was ad-
mitted to the District Bar.
Pure Irish.
"St. Patrick's Day is always a
lucky day for all good Irishmen," she
laughed, "and of course, I am pure
Irish on both sides of my family"
Whether it was the good saint IA
vor, her sense of humor and under
standing nature, or her efficiency as
practicing lawyer which brought her
the distinctive appointment, it suf-
fees that her first term was so sue
cessful that she was reappointed to
the bench by President Roosevelt
shortly before the adjournment of
Congress this summer.
The desire to become a lawyer,
which Judge Raedy says was in
spired when she was a girl of Is
by the imposing sight of law books
carried under the arm of a COL
lege student, conflicted somewhat
with that of becoming a newspa-
perwoman. A compromise was eff
fected, however, when shortly after
her graduation from high school
she wrote editorials and articles for
the National Editorial Association,
earning sufficient funds thereby to
pay her tuition at the National
University Law School.
After graduation, Judge Raedy
became associated with her two
brothers, both practicing lawyers,
remaining in the firm until her
appointment to the bench in 1885.
Last year, the judge was again
honored, by receiving an invitation
to serve as the first woman profess
sor on the faculty of her alma ma
ter, National University Law School.
Confirms Women's Efficiency.
Judge Raedy's term on the bench
has firmly convinced her of many
opinions long entertained. One is
that women jurors are extremely
efficient.
Il have long advocated women
on juries." she said. Every State
should have women Jurors, as
jury should represent a cross Sec
tion of public opinion and unless
you have women on the jury, you
do not have a cross section of opin-
ion."
Judge Raedy has found that wom-
en- jurors are attentive and Just,
and are not swayed by sentiment,
as was the early belief of many
opposed to women on juries.
Contrary to opinion" the Judge
added, women are also very good
listeners"
Women also make excellent law
yers, Judge Raedy contends, basing
this. opinion upon performance of
members Of her sex who have ap-
peared before her bench.
Law is not purely a masculine
profession" she said, "and I have