Lola Waterman

Level
Civil Court Judge, 2nd District

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2020 LID Questionnaire Response

What is your current position/law practice? If you are presently a judge, what did you do prior to becoming a judge?

I currently serve as Principal Law Clerk to the Honorable Lisa Ottley in the Kings County Supreme Court.

Why are you qualified to be a judge?

To whom much is given, much is required. My parents not only repeated this maxim to my siblings and me, but inspired us through their own actions. At a young age, I recall my father’s involvement and commitment to his community, be it in his role as the president of the local Lions Club, through his fraternity, as a college professor, or his role within our church. Sadly, my father ended up being a victim of gun violence as he was getting out of his car after work to visit my maternal grandmother. And although no arrests were ever made, I was determined to channel my pain in a positive way. Even before making the decision to go to law school, I used my skills to provide guidance to domestically abused women, mentor younger kids and volunteered through my church. I eventually made the decision to attend law school as I believed I would be able to contribute to my community in a more meaningful way.

Throughout my legal career, I have experienced that access to justice is oftentimes based on how much a person can afford. Consequently, I have been consistent and intentional about my commitment to equal justice. Whether it is hosting a “Just Mercy” virtual film discussion on the criminal justice system, co-hosting a Know Your Tenants’ Rights seminar, taking high schoolers on a field trip to criminal court, volunteering as a Guardian ad litem in Housing Court, organizing a six-week judicial panel series on a variety of topics/courts, writing and presenting on estate planning, regularly dedicating a day at a senior residence to facilitate the execution of advance directives, or staffing and hosting in person and virtual legal clinics, education and raising public awareness has been my path to advancing equal justice under the law.

As a sole practitioner, I understood what it was to work long hours, run a business, follow through complex matters to completion, deal with clients, and develop and manage relationships with clients and other attorneys. I also know from first-hand experience the indispensable value of a practitioner’s time, and that understanding would reflect in my display of courtesy and punctuality to those that appear before me.

In my current role as an impartial law clerk, I am keenly aware of when unrepresented parties are being marginalized. I have experienced how underrepresentation can lead to justice denied. I am in the courtroom every day, resolving disputes, I routinely communicate with attorneys, pro se litigants, family members, court personnel, judges and their staff, elected officials, government agencies, and medical providers. I have learned to show courtesy, compassion and fairness in each instance, regardless of personalities, and interests. I believe this exposure will assist me in displaying the judicial temperament that is required to instill confidence in our courts and to those that appear before me. Furthermore, as a Small Claims Court arbitrator, I aim to achieve equal justice by fairly applying the law, and patiently explaining the law to litigants that appear before me.

I believe my experience as a Principal Law Clerk, my experience in private practice, my desire to learn, my commitment to safeguarding the canons of equal justice under the law, my community involvement, my commitment to public service, the strict standards of conduct I subscribe to, as well as the diversity I bring to the bench, are all attributes that qualify me for a Judicial position.

Please list your current endorsements and judicial screening results.

I have endorsements from colleagues and community members/advocates that have had the opportunity to work with me, observe my work ethic, or benefitted from initiatives I organized within my community. I was found qualified by the Brooklyn Democratic Party Judicial Screening Committee. I plan to complete other judicial screening applications.

What interventions and resources are required to ensure that all judges and court personnel competently and respectfully serve and work with the LGBTQ community? What steps will you take to secure the necessary resources to implement the interventions?

The New York State Judicial Institute routinely offers CLE programs in tackling micro- and macroaggressions, implicit and explicit bias and I plan to attend those programs. I will be intentional about attending bias and diversity trainings at the New Judges’ Seminar and throughout my time on the bench. Furthermore, I plan to suggest/attend/sponsor seminars and conferences for judges and court personnel on bias training as it relates to the LGBTQ community.

How will you commit to ensuring that preferred pronouns and gender identity are respected in your courtroom and on documents prepared by litigators and the court?

I will create a safe courtroom by embodying empathy and taking steps to ensure all litigants feel welcome and included regardless of their preferred pronoun or gender identity. My commitment to ensuring a safe space will be demonstrated by asking what name or preferred pronoun to use, using gender neutral language, and being aware of and checking my own implicit bias, if any.

Will you commit to appearing before the LGBT Bar Association (“LeGal”) judicial screening panel? Do you understand that this club may rescind your endorsement for failure to appear or receiving a non- qualified rating from the association?

My application has been submitted to LeGal.