Judge Jennifer L. Thurston received her commission on December 27, 2021, filling the seat formerly held by the Hon. Lawrence J. O’Neill. Likely familiar to many FBA members, Judge Thurston served our district as a United States Magistrate Judge for twelve years before joining the district court bench. Before that, she litigated a huge variety of cases in Kern County including civil rights, personal injury, wrongful death, premises liability, election law, subrogation, and employment disputes. And she was a Certified Appellate Specialist, with more than 100 appeals and writs in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Fifth District Court of Appeal, and the California Supreme Court under her belt.
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On Friday, May 13, 2022, judges from each of the four District Courts in California joined CLA’s Annual Litigation & Appellate Summit for a Judges’ Town Hall. Mariam Kaloustian moderated a thoughtful discussion with the Honorable Yvonne Gonzales Rogers from the Northern District, the Honorable Philip S. Gutierrez
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Before becoming a Judge, Jill Burkhardt was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of California, Criminal Division. She started her career as an associate at Baker and McKenzie. Judge Burkhardt earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Minnesota and her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she graduated Cum Laude. In this interview, Judge Burkhardt discusses her path to the Bench, her experience transitioning from advocate to judge, and the importance of professionalism and civility in the legal profession.
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For the first time in the 233-year history of the Supreme Court, a Black woman will join the Bench of our nation’s highest court: on April 7, 2022, the Senate voted 53-47 to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. Soon-to-be Justice Jackson’s ascension also marks the first time in history where 4 of the 9 justices are women.
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John Byron Owens is a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
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Judge Chhabria was confirmed by the Senate as a District Court Judge for the Northern District of California in March 2014. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Chhabria worked as a staff member for U.S. Rep. Lynn C. Woolsey in Washington D.C. and California.
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Whereas, the California Civility Task Force is a joint project of the California Judges Association (CJA) and the California Lawyers Association (CLA); and Whereas, the CJA Executive Board has reviewed the task force's initial report entitled Beyond the Oath: Recommendations for Improving Civility
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Judge Allison H. Goddard is a federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. She joined the court on August 1, 2019.
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Last September, the California Civility Taskforce, a joint project of the California Lawyers Association (CLA) and the California Judges Association (CJA), issued a report decrying increased incivility in the legal profession and setting forth four proposals for improving civility among California lawyers and judges.
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This chart summarizes the cases on the Supreme Court’s docket for October Term 2021 that were heard in 2021, organized by oral argument date. Eight arguments were heard in October, thirteen in November, and six in December. Two opinions were published by the Court on December 10, 2021.
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