Our Someone 2 Know this week is an advocate for children, the elderly and people with disabilities.
As a journalist and then as a lawyer, she spent most of her career fighting for their rights. Now officially retired from the bench, she helps other judges who are doing the same
Meet the Honorable Karen Howze;
"So, this is my shadow box,” indicates Judge Howze, pointing to a display filled with newspaper clippings, press passes, photos and more. Hand created for Karen Howze, the shadow box commemorates the fifth anniversary of the founding of USA Today,
"My job was managing editor systems"
Howze was one of eight managing editors that helped launch the newspaper in 1982
"We had no internet - we had no THING,” she laughs, remembering.
Before that, in the 1970's, Howze was working as a print journalist in San Francisco
"(I was the) Second black woman hired at the Chronicle"
And before that, a young Karen Howze planned on being - a nun; "When I was 13 I entered a convent, a Polish convent"
She found that calling was not for her - and discovered that being of service, was. “I grew up in a household that said you always are thinking about the other man".
Howze says that has been the theme of her life.
"It doesn't make me a better person than anybody else"
Howze says the legal system grabbed her attention when she was a reporter; “I figured if I went to law school, I could get promoted to cover the state court".
Howze was hooked.
As a lawyer and then a judge, family court became the focus, as she dealt with hundreds of abuse and neglect cases.
"Race and equity in child welfare,” Howze was something she would research and write about.
Not one to sit still in retirement, 70 year old Howze is now Judge in Residence for the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, based in Reno.
"It's a membership organization of judges and other court related justice related professionals"
Now, whether in person, or online, Judge Howze advises on subjects of child domestic violence, sex trafficking, welfare and much more;
"This job is the culmination of everything we've been talking about since I was a teenager"
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If you would like to learn more about the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and what they do to improve the lives of children and families, click link below;
