Gov. Newsom Launches California Judicial Mentor Program

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom July 1, launched the California Judicial Mentor Program, a statewide undertaking between the executive and judicial branches to advance an inclusive judiciary that reflects California’s diversity. Comprised of an Appellate Court Mentor Program and a Trial Court Mentor Program, the initiative aims to demystify the appellate and trial court application process and improve transparency and accessibility for all members of the legal community throughout California, fostering the development of a qualified and diverse judicial applicant pool.

The California Judicial Mentor Program executive committee consists of judicial appointments secretary Luis Cespedes, chair Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Paul A. Bacigalupo and co-chairs representing the appellate and trial courts. On behalf of the appellate courts, the executive committee is co-chaired by California Supreme Court Associate Justice Martin Jenkins, Second District Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Lee Smalley Edmon and First District Court of Appeal Associate Justice Teri L. Jackson. On behalf of the trial courts, Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Erica Yew represents medium and large counties and Tehama Superior Court Judge C. Todd Bottke represents small and rural counties.

The program co-chairs will utilize working groups of justices and judges to communicate across sectors of the legal community to support and encourage lawyers and judges considering service on the appellate and trial courts. The program will work to identify and provide judicial mentors for these individuals and deploy informational resources and toolkits about the judicial appointment process. Participation in the program is not a guarantee of an appointment nor a prerequisite in the application process.  

The Appellate Court Mentor Program has initiated a pilot in the First District Court of Appeal with the goal of implementing the program statewide. The Trial Court Mentor Program has been implemented in regional collaborations, including between the counties of San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial; the counties of Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo; and the counties of Sacramento, Yolo and El Dorado.

Moving to increase transparency in the judicial nomination process, Governor Newsom in 2019 made public the state’s eight Judicial Selection Advisory Committees comprised of attorneys and judges who live and work in regions across the state. For the first time in California history, the individuals who provide important feedback on judicial candidates for nomination and appointment are known to the public.

The following judges are members of the Trial Court Mentor Program Working Group:

• Judge Ana de Alba – Fresno County Superior Court
• Presiding Judge Eric Taylor – Los Angeles County Superior Court
• Judge Helen Zukin – Los Angeles County Superior Court
• Judge Monique Langhorne – Napa County Superior Court
• Judge Elizabeth Macias – Orange County Superior Court
• Judge Raquel Marquez – Riverside County Superior Court
• Judge Shama Mesiwala – Sacramento County Superior Court
• Judge Roderick Shelton – San Diego County Superior Court
• Judge Russell Roeca – San Francisco County Superior Court
• Judge Barbara Kronlund – San Joaquin County Superior Court