Portrait of Batts unveiled at HLS

Harvard Law School unveiled a portrait of U.S. District Judge Deborah A. Batts, the first and only openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual member of the federal judiciary, on Saturday, Oct. 27. Batts, a 1972 graduate of Harvard Law School and 1969 graduate of Radcliffe, was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in 1994 by President Clinton. Simmie Knox of Silver Spring, Md., a distinguished and prolific artist who is currently working on the official portrait of Clinton, painted Batts’ portrait. It was presented to the Law School by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Alumni/ae Committee of the Harvard Law School, which also raised the funds for it. “I am so touched and amazed that anyone would do this,” said Batts, who attended the unveiling. “In fact, I am as embarrassed as I am pleased.”

– Beth Potier