When Ana Escobar sits down with other members of the Judicial Nominating Commission this week, she will be making history. Escobar is the first Hispanic woman to serve on the panel that nominates judicial candidates to the governor.
Her appointment and the appointment of Renata Soto to the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission, the panel that evaluates appellate-level judges up for re-election, will help bring diversity to politically powerful committees, supporters say.
"It's big," said Loraine Segovia of the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "They are setting a precedent, and it will open doors. On a national level, women — Latina women — are leaders in businesses and in the community.''
Escobar was among 237 applicants for the 17-member commission. She was appointed by House Speaker Kent Williams. The commission screens and nominates judges to the Tennessee Supreme Court, the intermediate appeals courts and all state trial courts when vacancies occur.
Escobar, who grew up in Nashville and went to Vanderbilt University, has practiced criminal law for 12 years. She graduated from the George Washington University Law School in 1995. Escobar's first meeting with the judicial nominating committee is Wednesday. READ FULL STORY
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