Judith VolkartJudith Volkart honored with Lola Hanzell Courageous Advocacy Award
ACLU of Sonoma board member Judith Volkart was presented with The Lola Hanzel Courageous Advocacy Award at the ACLU of Northern California's Bill of Rights Celebration December 14th. The award recognizes volunteers who have provided strength, dedication and leadership to the ACLU of Northern California by their exemplary efforts. Judith was honored for her years of service to our Chapter and the Northern California affiliate. Judith first joined the Sonoma County Board of Directors in 1994. She immediately became a powerful voice on the chapter board and in the Sonoma community for civil liberties. Since joining the board she has served the Sonoma Chapter as board secretary (1995), chair (1996-1999), member of the Jack Green Civil Liberties Award Committee, and chair of the Mario Savio Student Award committee.
Judith has served as the Sonoma County Chapter representative on the ACLU of Northern California Board of Directors (1994-1996), a member of the ACLU-NC board nomination committee (1996), and is currently a member of ACLU-NC legal committee (1996 to present). She is a frequent speaker on chapter organizing at ACLU workshops and conferences.
During her tenure on the Sonoma board, Judith has been active in the community for a wide variety of local, state and national civil liberties issues. For example, on the local level, Judith worked in coalition with the Redwood Chinese Association and 20 other Sonoma County organizations advocating independent civilian review boards, and testified as an expert on community-police relations at the request of the California Advisory Committee to the US Civil Rights Commission during its 1998 Sonoma County hearing.
Fighting against the statewide Proposition 187, Judith joined with a coalition of supporters of the local farm worker community to defeat the measure in our county. She also worked with students to form an ACLU club at Sonoma State University, and organized with free speech leader Mario Savio to fight the effects of Proposition 187 and oppose discriminatory fee hikes on campus. As chair, she established the Mario Savio Student Activist Award.
Lately, Judith has focused on educating the public about the perils of the USA Patriot Act. In that effort, she has addressed diverse audiences throughout Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa, and Solano Counties, and her speeches have been aired on public radio stations across the country. Judith has supported local Bill of Rights Defense Committees facilitating their work to pass anti-Patriot Act resolutions by sharing information and speaking at council meetings. Judith's participation in forums on the USA Patriot Act helped in the creation of a new ACLU chapter in Mendocino and supported the newly formed Napa chapter. "If not for Judith, the evils of the Patriot Act would be unknown to the ordinary folk. Judith's work reflects a passion and commitment to justice for all," notes board member and community activist Alicia Sanchez.
"Judith's tireless dedication to civil liberties has kept the Sonoma chapter strong. She has been a voice of civil liberties not only in Sonoma County but also throughout northern California. Her keen intellect and warm personality allows her to work effectively in coalitions promoting civil liberties and makes her a great spokesperson for the ACLU," states chapter chair and 1998 Lola Hanzell recipient, Steve Fabian.
Judith is a lawyer in private practice in Bodega. She teaches graduate level and upper-division law courses, including Constitutional Law, at Sonoma State University, where she was honored with the school's Distinguished Alumna Award. Judith is also a founder and President of the Democratic Enterprise Foundation and an active supporter of the Bodega Volunteer Fire Department and the Bodega Land Trust.