Cancer Foundation. She also lectures
frequently on medical malpractice for
the American Academy of Hospital
Administrators.
She has always liked the chal-
lenges of the courtroom and her posi-
tion. "Each and every time I'm on the
bench, I feel the people there with me
in every way," says Gilbert. "I must
have an overall perspective of the
people in all I do."
Married and the mother of three,
she's an avid reader with an interest in
nature. She has climbed the Andes
mountains and been to the Amazon
jungle where she says, "You realize
what the priorities of life are and can
experience the pure enjoyment of the
world around you."
Judge Hilda Gage, 47, began her
legal career during a time of
heightened awareness of the women's
movement. As a teacher, she saw the
inequities in salaries between men
and women in the field of education.
"Men teachers with the same position
were making more money than
women," says Gage.
Her husband was attending law
school while she was teaching. "We
would discuss his cases and I was al-
ways envious." After having three
children, she attended Wayne State
University Law School in the eve-
nings. "At first my husband was to-
tally non-supportive, but then he
realized I was serious," explains Gage.
Judge Gage practiced law for
eight years and taught at Wayne State
Law School. After serving on the
Michigan Civil Rights Commission in
1974 at the request of Governor
William Milliken — her first taste of a
quasi-judicial activity — she says, "I
decided I loved it and wanted to be-
come a judge."
She won her Circuit Court seat in
1978.
"In the beginning there were a few
remarks, mostly tongue-in-cheek,
about 'another woman being added to
the bench.' I remember one judge
commenting that the women are tak-
ing over, but most were totally suppor-
tive."
"Being a woman hasn't hindered
me at all," adds Gage. "And I don't
believe my religion has been an asset;
however, personally it has been my
strongest asset."
Referring to the recent election of
Judge Cooper, Gage says, "Men will
say that it is the women's vote that has
put three women judges into the cir-
cuit court, but I don't believe this is so.
We live in a more enlightened com-
munity in Oakland County and the
people here trust women with creden-
tials in this role. Judge Cooper ran an
outstanding campaign."
Gage also expects to see more
women running for judge. "Being a
woman in this field is not a big deal
anymore. However, there may be a
difference in that Judge Gilbert and I
are more sensitive to some issues. In
divorce and alimony cases, I don't
think we're partial to women, and we
are aware that women can work."
One Southfield attorney has de-
scribed Judge Gage as "the picture of
efficiency and the picture of a no-
nonsense jurist." Judge Gage's reply is
that practicing attorneys must rely on
certainty. "I swore that if I ever be-
came a judge that the people could de-
pend on getting a decision consistent
with the law," says Gage. "I am firm on
requiring strict adherence to the laws
by all attorneys. I do not adjourn cases.
Litigants should not have to wait
years to have their cases decided." A
personal injury attorney from Bir-
mingham agrees and adds, "If you
could keep only one judge on the Cir-
cuit Court it would be Judge Gage be-
cause of her consistency and fairness."
However, an attorney from South-
field believes "not adjourning cases
can sometimes be detrimental to the
client if attorneys are forced to go to
court before all relevant information
can be obtained."
This year, Gage is the chairperson
of the 1,600-member National Confer-
ence of State Trial Judges. She is the
first woman to hold that position since
it was established in 1958. She is also
currently serving as the first woman
president of the Michigan Judges
Association. With a very full schedule,
she still devotes time to the
Dysautonomia Foundation.
Oakland County Circuit Court's
newest member — Judge Jessica
Cooper — began her term on Jan. 1. In
1978, after practicing law for five
years and just beginning to make some
money, fellow attorneys and friends
convinced her to run against incum-
bent 46th District Judge James
Clarkson, a former Southfield mayor.
"He is a rather colorful character, out-
spoken, and he also had some interest-
ing things to say about women," says
Cooper. "I thought someone should
run against him and it should be a
woman."
She enjoyed campaigning and
meeting people by walking through-
out the entire district. "However, I was
not prepared for the bench," says
Cooper.
After being elected Southfield's
first woman judge, "The other judges
were in a state of shock. I remember
one judge saying, 'Why are you here?
Why aren't you home having babies?' I
would if I could," says Cooper. "We'd
all like to be a superwoman and have it
all. But you take what you can and
sometimes you don't get to have it all.
Judge Alice Gilbert
The bench does destroy your social life.
It is tough to be single and be a judge at
33." She is now 41.
In her November race for Oakland
County Circuit Court, she defeated
Rochester City Attorney Lawrence
Ternan by taking 62.4 percent of the
vote. "When Jessica sets her sights on
something she usually gets it," says
co-campaign manager Al Holtz. "She's
very bright. There wasn't any aspect of
the campaign she didn't have her hand
in or know about. She personally
selected who she wanted to reach and
chose how to reach them in the most
cost-effective manner. The truth is my
commonsense told me she would win
hands down."
The campaign for the circuit court
was a massive one, according to
Cooper. "I won because I am blessed
with friends that worked, and gave of
themselves in incredible ways. You
really know who your friends are at
the time of an election."
Cooper believes there are three
women circuit judges in Oakland
County because "we're all fine cam-
paigners. Judge Gage and Judge Gil-
bert and I have devoted an overwhelm-
ing amount of work into each cam-
paign and have a very strong commit-
ment to winning. Many women are re-
sponsive to other women candidates
and some men respond to female
judges, seeing them as caring. And to
some extent men versus women on the
ballot works to our advantage."
Every judge brings his or her own
perceptions to the bench. But, says
Cooper, "Our role is to set aside our
own biases. In the areas of child cus-
tody and divorce, women are very per-
ceptive and are a real asset."
As a judge, says Cooper, "I am de-
cisive and never show weakness. I like
to consider myself a fair and just
human being. It is tough because you
live in a goldfish bowl. It is a position of
leadership and you must conduct
yourself in a manner appropriate to
the judiciary and to the people and
sometimes that means doing
superhuman things."
One Oakland County attorney de-
scribes Cooper as "an assertive, com-
petent judge with a balanced ideology
and as having good ideas for stream-
lining courtroom procedures." Cooper
Continued on next page