Episode 24: Judge Sarah Evans Barker- US District Court Judge

Imagine being the first woman or man in your profession, ever! And then imagine you were appointed to that position by the President of the United States! No pressure, right? That’s the story of Judge Sarah Evans Barker. Judge Barker was the first female to be appointment U.S. District Court Judge. She was appointed by President Ronald Reagan more than 30 years ago and serves the Southern District of Indiana. Being a female judge was so rare when Judge Barker was appointed, she often had attorneys in her courtroom slip up and call her “sir!” One time, she even had a male defendant read a passage to her from the Old Testament where it mentions how women should not be in a position to judge men! In this interview, Judge Barker shares more stories like that one in addition to talking about the call she received from President Reagan and the unique partnership she and her husband, Ken, found while raising their three children. She even shares details of some of her most difficult cases and describes how those sentencing decisions still weigh heavy on her mind. We also discuss Judge Barker’s time moderating the Stanley K. Lacy (SKL) Executive Leadership Series®. If you have interest in learning more about SKL, click here. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Judge Sarah Evans Barker. The episode is hosted by Sarah Holsapple.