Associate justice, 3rd District Court of Appeal
What does the 250th anniversary of the United States signify to you as a member of the judiciary?
Ours is a judiciary open to all in a way uniquely American. My court, the Third Appellate District, has the distinction of having the first female justice in California, Annette Abbott Adams, appointed in 1942. After that, it has been a steady drumbeat of fabulous female firsts in California: the first African American woman, Arleigh Woods (Second Appellate District, Division Seven, 1980); the first Jewish American woman and youngest intermediate appellate court justice, Sheila Prell Sonenshine (Fourth Appellate District, Division Three, 1982); the first Asian American woman, the first immigrant woman, the first non-native English speaking woman, and the first disabled woman, Joyce Kennard (Second Appellate District, Division Five, 1988); the first Hispanic woman, Ramona Godoy Perez (Second Appellate District, Division Five, 1993); the first and only female military veteran, Eileen Moore (Fourth Appellate District, Division Three, 2000); and the first openly lesbian, Therese Stewart (First Appellate District, Division Two, 2014). Our judiciary remains the best in the world because our tapestry of excellence reflects our diversity.
What lessons from the judiciary's history should guide its future?
Our inclusiveness is our superpower. America gives everyone a chance, and because we do, everyone has the chance to reach the heights of our profession. Here is a glimpse at what our female justice firsts have done: (1) Annette Abbott Adams's name was advanced for possible nomination as the first female vice president of the United States; (2) Arleigh Woods, at age 22, became the youngest woman at the time and the fourth African American woman to be admitted to the California State Bar; (3) Sheila Prell Sonenshine was in the first group of certified family law specialists; (4) Joyce Kennard learned English as her third language by listening to pop songs, picking up a lot of simple words related to love and heartbreak; (5) Ramona Godoy Perez became the first West Coast attorney advisor to investigate complaints of civil rights violations under the United States Commission on Civil Rights; (6) Eileen Moore still uses her Vietnam combat nurse experience to make California courts inclusive and responsive to military veterans; and (7) Therese Stewart dedicated nine years of her life to the successful fight for marriage equality that has now spread around the world. Think of what our great country's judiciary can accomplish in the next 250 years!