When you come in to court as a plaintiff or as a defendant, it is terribly important that you look up at the bench and feel that that person represents you and will understand you, that that person is reflective of our community and of our society.

Bloomberg frames judicial legitimacy as something experienced personally by ordinary litigants, not merely guaranteed by formal procedures. The quote argues that when people enter a courtroom—whether seeking relief as plaintiffs or defending themselves as defendants—they need to perceive the judge as someone who can understand their circumstances and who symbolically “represents” them. This points to the civic importance of a judiciary that is broadly reflective of the community (often discussed in terms of diversity of background, experience, and perspective). The underlying claim is that public trust and a sense of fairness are strengthened when the bench visibly embodies the society it serves, making justice feel accessible and impartial rather than distant or alien.