Chief Judge Ramona Manglona: A Trailblazer for Women in the Law

Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona was born into a large family on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, about 4,000 miles from Hawaii. At the age of 12, she left home to further her education on the U.S. mainland. After earning a law degree, she returned to the island to help the people in the community where she grew up. Today, Manglona leads the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. In celebration of Women’s History Month, this video profile explores Manglona’s perseverance in pursuing a career in law. She reflects on the challenges her parents faced raising 12 children on Saipan, and credits them with instilling in her a strong work ethic. Manglona, the first in her family to graduate from a four-year college, is the first indigenous woman to pass the local bar exam and the first and only woman district judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. • Find Women’s History Resources: