Spencer obits

The LA Times obituary for Justice Spencer is here: Vaino Spencer, trailblazing judge and one of California's longest-serving jurists, dies at 96.
And today's DJ has one as well (Justice Vaino H. Spencer 1920-2016), which reports:

In addition to being the first African American woman to serve on the bench in the state, and the third in the country, Spencer went on to become a state appellate justice, founded the National Association of Women Judges and co-founded the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles.

Gov. Pat Brown appointed Spencer to the Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1961. Gov. Jerry Brown elevated her to the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 1976 and to the court of appeal in 1980. She stayed on the court for 27 years, serving as presiding judge of the 2nd District Court of Appeal's Division 1 for 20 years. 

The Chief Justice called her a "double pioneer -- a pioneer for women on the bench and a pioneer for people of color on the bench." Retired Justice Candace Cooper called her "iconic." Last week's MetNews obit has quotes from retired Justices Mallano and Baron, and PJ Gilbert.