Interview with First City Court Judge Sonja Spears

New Orleans CityBusiness, Sep 2, 2002 by Elisabeth Butler

Sonja Spears, a Massachusetts native, taught English in Boston public schools for two years before moving to New Orleans. She attended law school at Tulane University. In November 1998, at age 34, Spears became one of the state's youngest judges to take the bench.

Now 38, Spears still presides as judge of First City Court in Orleans Parish. This fall, she seeks to replace a retiring judge on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

What advantages did you have

by taking the bench so young,

and what are you most proud of now?

I'm most proud of my community involvement, and I think that maybe that had something to do with my age. Because I was probably closer to being out of law school, even being out of college, you know, those sort of things. I was maybe closer to some of the issues that judges can get isolated from once they've been on the bench for a number of years.

What attracts you to the court of appeals?

You get to have a mix of issues. Right now I have a civil jurisdiction. In the court of appeal, you get to deal with issues of a criminal and a civil nature. I've practiced in both areas, and I think I can have a greater impact. I think I've done a good job here. I've gotten great feedback from the people who have an opportunity to come into my court. I think that I can serve on that bench and do a good job there, too.

The opportunity has presented itself, and when another judge might be leaving, that court is a mystery. It's a matter of seizing the opportunity and taking advantage of the timing.

You volunteer for the New Orleans public schools a couple of times a month. With your experience in public school systems, what kind of strengths and weaknesses do you see there?

Well, I taught in the Boston public school system, so my perspective with the New Orleans system is as a parent and volunteer. The New Orleans system has some pockets of strengths. We're fortunate that our kids are involved in one of those pockets at (Robert Mills Lusher Elementary).

I think that parental involvement makes all the difference in the world. That's what I see at Lusher, which is lacking at many of the schools that are not doing as well in the public school system. There's a myriad of other problems and challenges, but I think they can be overcome, as long as parents and families continue to invest in the system.

Do you see yourself as a role model?

I would hope that I am a role model to the children and the students who I speak with. One of the most satisfying things to me is when I'm out somewhere, and a student will come up to me and say 'I remember when you came to talk to me at school, and I want be a judge someday,' or 'I want to do what you're doing.' That really does my heart good because I know that somebody's listening. Somebody's paying attention.

I would hope that I'm making some impact, especially with the young women and young girls.

You also work with Tulane students who learn

to practice law in your courtroom. How do you relate to them like you relate to the school kids?

The one thing that has to hold true, that transcends age -- you can tell it to the kindergartners, you can tell it to the high school juniors, you can tell it to the Tulane law students -- is you have to learn to be yourself and to be true to yourself. You're not going to be able to practice law like somebody that you see on TV. Not everyone is cut out to have a Perry Mason style. But you can do your best with whoever you are. Remain true to yourself and always do your best. That holds true for everybody.

What do you see as your personal

top strengths and weaknesses?

I think that I'm a patient person and that I listen well. Those are extremely important, especially in this profession and especially as a mom. I have a 7- and a 9-year-old. I think that those are strengths that I have.

Weaknesses...well, sometimes when I get going, I talk a lot.

Where would you like to see yourself,

professionally, in the next 10 years?

Well, 10 years would mark the very end of the term for the court of appeal. So, I would just be finishing out a 10-year term on that court at that time. Perhaps I would like to eventually look at the state Supreme Court. I don't know if there would be a vacancy at that point. It all depends on what the landscape looks like. If there's a vacancy, then that is something I would seriously consider at that time. If there's not a vacancy, then I would run for re-election on the Fourth Circuit.