Tips from the Bench

As told to Amber R. Hayes, Attorney at Law*

Amber R. Hayes joined the firm of Hodson & Mullin in 2011 and she quickly established herself as an experienced courtroom advocate and litigator. Her primary objective is to work with all parties to reach a full resolution as amicably as possible. Ms. Hayes was recently recognized as a Certified Family Law Specialist by the Board of Legal Specialization for the California State Bar and is dually licensed to practice law in California and Minnesota. In addition to her litigation experience, Amber is currently on the Board of Directors for the California Young Lawyers Association; she is the co-chair to the Bay Area Regional Standing Committee for the Family Law Executive Committee; participates as a mentee with the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyer’s mentorship program; and is active with the Solano County Bar Association and the Solano County Family Law Committee. Ms. Hayes holds recognition as a Northern California Rising Star by SuperLawyer Magazine for 2013 and 2014, and is currently bestowed with Young Lawyer of the Year by the Solano County Bar Association.

Before I reveal the secrets passed onto me from our esteemed judiciary, let me tell you what I learned while researching this article:

I started by researching the Judges and Commissioners around the State of California, including a review of articles written, accolades given, and outreach programs in which they participate. Judges don’t just simply sit on the bench and hear cases, issue rulings, and render judgments. They are actively involved in their communities and in the advancement of the profession. In fact, each of the Judges and Commissioners interviewed was named as Judicial Officer of the Year, holds a position as a Presiding Judge, or has been recognized by the legal community as committing time, effort and energy to the advancement of the legal profession.