Sep. 25, 2026
The justice who was never afraid to stand alone
Justice Joyce L. Kennard, who survived a wartime refugee camp and rose to become the first justice of Asian descent on the California Supreme Court, left a legacy of fierce independence, lone dissents and beautifully written opinions.
At oral argument, Justice Joyce L. Kennard often asked lengthy, discursive questions that summed up the issues. Or she could be blunt and to the point.
"On which side are you," she demanded of a deputy attorney general at a tense 2009 hearing over the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban.
Kennard died Aug. 26 at age 85. She left an indelible mark on the California Supreme Court.
She was the first justice of Asian descent. She was the se...
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