Quartet of Election Profiles: Guerra, Adams, Servino, Daum

The DJ's latest batch of appellate justice election profiles:

From restaurant critic to appellate justice, Guerra values people's stories -- Justice Amy K. Guerra, a former defense attorney and family law judge, seeks retention on the 5th District after writing two published opinions, one already followed by another appellate court.

Guerra graduated from San Joaquin College of Law. She defended homicide cases at Fresno County's Alternate Defense Office, becoming chief defense attorney in 2014. Gov. Jerry Brown appointed her in 2018 to the Fresno County Superior Court, where she handled family law, felony domestic violence and trials, and supervised collaborative courts.

Adams brings a habit of listening and explaining to 6th District -- A former family law research attorney and federal law clerk, Justice Charles F. Adams presided over CARE Court before joining the appellate bench in August.

After graduating from Pepperdine University School of Law, Adams practiced family law before becoming a Santa Clara County Superior Court research attorney in 2006. He later spent seven years clerking for U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila.

Justice seeking retention called a judicial 'Swiss-Army knife' -- Justice Deborah C. Servino, a former deputy attorney general who argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and conducted more than 180 civil trials, seeks retention on the 4th District.

Before joining the bench, Justice Deborah C. Servino argued a Miranda case before the U.S. Supreme Court and won a 5-4 ruling for California.
... Her appellate career began after graduating from UC Berkeley School of Law, when she clerked for 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Melvin T. Brunetti. After a year at Rutan & Tucker LLP, she joined the California attorney general's office to handle criminal appeals. ... Servino was lead counsel in more than 150 California Court of Appeal cases and argued before the California Supreme Court.

Daum brings a historian's eye and a litigator's range to the 2nd District -- Justice Nicholas F. Daum, a former entertainment litigator and trial judge, seeks retention on the 2nd District after writing rulings addressing the constitutional rights, employment disputes, arbitration and housing law.

Before the bench, Daum spent nearly two decades as a civil litigator. After graduating from Yale Law School, he clerked for 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Raymond C. Fisher, whom he called "a mentor and idol." He spent 13 years at Kendall Brill & Kelly LLP, where he became a partner and helped lead the entertainment and media practice and did pro bono voting rights work. ... Off the bench, Daum chairs the board of the Western Justice Center, "an organization that promotes effective and peaceful conflict resolution techniques in schools throughout LA County," he wrote.