- In the 1970s, Fresno high school debate coach Richard Beers oversaw teams that included three future justices of the 5th District Court of Appeal: Mark W. Snauffer, Kathleen A. Meehan and Presiding Justice Brad R. Hill.
- The 5th District stands out in another way. Among all of California's appellate courts, it probably has by far the highest percentage of justices who grew up locally. Even many of the justices who didn't grow up in Fresno come from nearby, such as Tom DeSantos, raised a 45-minute drive away in Hanford.
- Snauffer said he was always an avid reader who seemed destined for the law or some other career that dealt mainly in words. He said he never excelled in science, but did in history and politics. After high school, Snauffer earned a bachelor's degree in political science from UC Berkeley. He graduated from UCLA School of Law in 1977, then spent three years with one of the most prominent firms in Fresno, McCormick Barstow LLP.
- Snauffer said the scholarly, less hectic nature of the appellate court suits him -- and he doesn't think he'll do anything else before he eventually retires.
The ABA Journal has Justices drop 'respectfully' in some dissents, but SCOTUS rancor is tamer than in past and ABA President's letter: A code of ethics is necessary to restore trust in the Supreme Court
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