- In her first address to the California Legislature, Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero on Monday praised the increased use of remote technology in state courtrooms, even as court reporters and interpreters press lawmakers to curb its expanded use.
- The chief justice delivered her speech just 85 days after she became the leader of California’s judiciary and one year after she joined the court as an associate justice. Much of her address touched on her biography—her parents’ immigration to the U.S. from Mexico to escape poverty, her first jobs at grocery stores, her work as a federal prosecutor and a partner at Latham & Watkins and her quick rise through the courts to become chief justice.
- Guerrero is the first Latina to serve on the state’s high court. On Monday, she lauded recent governors’ efforts to place more women and racial minorities on the bench, and she noted that last December the Judicial Council voted to add “inclusion” as a top branch priority along with access, fairness and diversity. California courts now close for César Chávez Day, Native American Day and, starting this year, Juneteenth.
In SoCal law school news, see Loyola Law Dean Chosen to Lead UCLA Law -- “Our values of inclusivity and excellence are woven into the fabric of Los Angeles, felt across the country and world and known throughout legal education,” Michael Waterstone added as the deanship brings him back to his alma mater where he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science.
And the DJ has Canadian law school professor named next dean of Chapman law school -- Paul D. Paton is an internationally recognized expert in legal ethics.
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