Gee marks changing of the guard in Southern California federal courts

Chief U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee reflected Tuesday on a period of significant change in Southern California's federal judiciary, welcoming a new generation of judges and emphasizing the importance of the relationship between the bench and bar.

Gee was the featured speaker at the Los Angeles chapter of the Federal Bar Association's Reception Honoring the Federal Judiciary at the Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez U.S. Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.

The gathering honored judges of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Central District of California and the district's magistrate and bankruptcy courts, with particular recognition for judges appointed since the association last held the event in 2022.

The Central District has welcomed eight district judges and 10 magistrate judges during that period, Gee said, while the 9th Circuit and bankruptcy court also have added judges.

"These judges all have followed many different paths to the bench," Gee said. "Their experience encompasses nearly every corner of the legal profession. That diversity of experience strengthens our work."

Gee, who became chief judge in March 2024, also reflected on judges who died during the period and the renaming of the courthouse for Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez, whose family helped challenge the segregation of Mexican American schoolchildren in Orange County.

Those changes, Gee said, are "all chapters in the same continuing story," one that depends on each generation accepting responsibility for preserving the courts and maintaining public confidence in the legal system.

"That is why the partnership between the court and the Federal Bar Association is so important," Gee said. "The FBA helps cultivate the professionalism, service and mutual respect upon which our strength depends."

Federal Bar Association board member Christine M. Adams of Adams, Duerk & Kamenstein LLP said organizers wanted to recognize the judges who have joined the bench since the last reception. The event had been delayed by a combination of the pandemic, budget constraints and a government shutdown, she said.

Fellow Adams, Duerk & Kamenstein attorney Adam D. Kamenstein said the reception also gives federal practitioners a relatively rare opportunity to interact informally with judges away from the courtroom.

"It's not every day you become a federal judge," Kamenstein said. "It's an opportunity to see them off the bench, and you know, you can approach them or not and say hello. But it's just a great chance to rub elbows."

Bar official Charles Wenker said organizers had been working for roughly a year and a half to bring the reception back after earlier plans were disrupted.

"We're glad that everyone was able to make it," Adams said, noting the strong turnout.