Miriam Waltzer
As the first woman elected to the New Orleans Criminal District Court, Miriam Waltzer fought for the civil rights of minorities, children, and women. Waltzer was twenty-two when she married civil rights lawyer Bruce Waltzer and immigrated to the United States. Miriam's experiences in Germany shaped her perspective on racism in the American South and drew her to a career in law. It was a difficult time to enter the profession: Waltzer's law school class had only five women, and New Orleans Parish had only male jurors until 1974. First elected to the criminal district court in 1982, she moved to the court of appeals in 1992. From the bench, Waltzer created innovative programs to educate juvenile offenders instead of sending them to prison. She wrote opinions and dissents that provided for the welfare of youth victims, forced male judges to honor federal child support requirements, and conducted a statewide survey on the treatment of women in the courts, revealing widespread discrimination against female lawyers and expert witnesses. She retired in 2002 and relocated to Dallas during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. As of 2015, Waltzer serves as a volunteer educator, working with children.
Miriam describes her childhood in Germany during World War II, the lives of her parents, meeting her American husband, moving to the United States, and formally converting to Judaism. She talks about her husband's military service as a Lieutenant during the Korean War and moving around to the various places he was stationed in Europe. Miriam describes her political, feminist, and spiritual journey and how she and her husband, Bruce, were actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement, which led to "the creation of the innovative programs for juveniles" to educate offenders instead of incarcerating them. She traces her career path from law school at the Loyola School of Law, where she was one of five women in her class, to the first female judge elected to the New Orleans Criminal District Court. Miriam also shares her experiences with humanitarian organizations and efforts, such as the Human Rights Campaign and the Forum for Equality. Finally, Miriam reflects on her proudest achievements, of which there are many.
