CWU to host Women of Law and Justice conference October 24

Central Washington University’s Department of Law and Justice will welcome 25 women from across the field of law enforcement on Tuesday, October 24, for the inaugural Women of Law and Justice conference.

The panelists will discuss their career paths, interests, work life, and personal stories before taking questions from audience members.

The event was coordinated by CWU Assistant Professor of Law and Justice Sara Toto, who hopes the conversations started during the panel will help students gain fresh perspectives on the law and justice profession.

“So much that is taught, whether in lectures or in textbooks, is the male perspective on criminal justice,” Toto said. “We hope that by creating this annual event, we can open students up to a different perspective.”

She noted that, regardless of how someone identifies, lived experiences of working in the field are not universal.

“Giving students who want to work within the field the chance to understand and gain the tools they need to support marginalized voices, and become more empathetic toward those who are different from them, will help move the entire profession forward,” Toto added.

The panelists for the conference will be:

• Dasy Gonzalez and Therese Murphy, Yakima Probation
• Dulce Diaz, Yakima Police Department
• Taylor Reeves, Tacoma Police Department
• Laura Lakowske and Mollie Romani, South Sound 911
• Michelle Bennett, Edmonds Police Department
• Jamey Kiblinger, Black Diamond Police Department
• Candace Hooper, Kittitas County Judge
• Courtney Nasset, Fish and Wildlife
• Kera O'Reilly, Seattle FBI
• Kelly Boozer, Aspen
• Brandi Albert and Fina Taai, Juvenile Rehabilitation
• Erica McNamara, Yakima 911
• Brenda Johnson, Sgt. Robin Peacey and Corporal Tai Wotherspoon, Bellevue Police Department
• Eileen Murphy, Public Defender
• Mackenzie Erickson and Michel Navarro, CWU Police
• Heather Axtman, Washington State Patrol
• Pardies Roohani, Private Attorney
• Alexandra Stevens, Coyote Ridge
• Autumn Manning, Seattle Police Department
• Brenda Frias, Central Washington Justice For Our Neighbors Paralegal
• Detective Jeanne Walford, King County Sheriff’s Office
• Denise McJohnson, Department of Children, Youth and Families Shelton/Centralia
• Lesha Cockle, Lakewood Police Department

With panelists hailing from across Washington state, representing a broad variety of backgrounds, this event supports CWU’s Vision of becoming a model learning community of equity and belonging.

“On these panels, our students will see reflections of themselves, and that the agency representatives are as diverse as our students,” Toto said. “By hosting these events, we are sustaining the relationship between our community—many of whom are CWU alumni—and creating new partnerships and opportunities for our students to make connections for future careers.”