The Relevance of Gender

A Case Study of Judicial Appointents at the State Level

Abstract

Information gathered as a participant observer on the Maryland judicial nominating commission and from hearings on gender bias in the Maryland courts, along with interviews, will be used to show that the attitudes of the gatekeepers toward women were less decisive than previous research suggested in having women appointed to the bench. It will be argued that the credentials of the male applicants played a more crucial role in the deliberations of the judicial nominating commission than positive attitudes towards women or gender neutral views.