California Supreme Court
Chief Justice
Tani Cantil-Sakauye
came to Santa Cruz !

On October 11, 2011, Women Lawyers of Santa Cruz County hosted a very special visit from California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye. Close to 150 attorneys, judges, and guests from Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Santa Clara counties were in attendance, making it a very memorable occasion.  

The event marked the unveiling of a beautiful commemorative lectern commissioned by Women Lawyers of Santa Cruz, to remember Judge Kathleen Akao’s 11 years of service on the local bench. Judge Morse graciously accepted the commemorative lectern on behalf of the Santa Cruz courthouse. She reminded the audience of Judge Akao’s many contributions to the bench and fondly remembered the friendship she shared with Judge Akao, her first female colleague. The Chief Justice’s use of the lectern that night made the gift even more special. A formal dedication ceremony will be held at the Santa Cruz courthouse at noon on November 2.

Dinah V. Sapia, President of WLSCC, then introduced the Chief Justice with a brief background of the Chief Justice’s 20-plus years of experience as a superior court judge and appellate justice in Sacramento prior to her nomination to the California Supreme Court in 2010.

Being the first main speaker to use the new lectern, the Chief Justice opened her remarks by noting that Judge Akao was the first Asian-American judge on the Santa Cruz bench, and applauded Judge Morse for being the first female judge in Santa Cruz and the first woman Presiding Judge on our bench. The Chief Justice, who is the first Asian-American Chief Justice in California, reminded the audience that those who are “firsts” have a responsibility to make sure they are not the last. She encouraged all “firsts” to help pave the way for others to also be “firsts.”

The Chief Justice’s prepared remarks offered a candid update on the current state of the California judicial branch, which has been operating in very difficult economic times.

She explained that a Chief Justice really has three roles. Most well-known is her role as the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, where women justices now hold a majority for the first time.  Her second role is Chair of the Judicial Council, and her third role is the head of the entire judicial branch of California government.

The Chief Justice was effusive in her compliments to the Santa Cruz bench as an example of a court that is doing very well by having planned ahead.  She praised the local bench for having taken the initiative to begin problem-solving when the budget crisis began, and for having the foresight to implement cost-effective changes while continuing to provide necessary services.

The Chief Justice stated that one of her goals is to “coax” the California judicial system “into the 21st century” by implementing more electronic filing.  She noted that Orange County was successful in eliminating paper filing altogether. She described the daunting task of trying to get all of the State’s court’s computer systems aligned.

Answering a question from the audience, the Chief Justice described the internal process for a case in the California Supreme Court. She reminded the audience that in general, litigants must petition for review, and that the California Supreme Court will only grant review if the case presents an appropriate vehicle for resolving a conflict in the Courts of Appeal, or is an issue of great state-wide importance. She described how the justices meet to vote on whether or not to grant review; how a case is assigned to a particular justice after review is granted; and how a case makes it to oral argument and filed opinion. 

The Chief Justice also answered questions from the audience about realignment in criminal sentencing; the California Courts Protective Order Registry system for domestic violence restraining orders; and electronic filing.

At the end of the event, Syda Kosofsky, President-Elect of WLSCC, then presented Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye with an honorary 2012 WLSCC membership. 

It was definitely an event to remember.

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February 17, 2011
WLSCC Meet & Greet
Hosted by the law firm of
Grunsky, Ebey, Farrar & Howell

October 1, 2010
The Effects of Domestic Violence on Families / Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Julie Schneider
Victim Advocate for Santa Cruz Police Department

May 19, 2010
Women Doctors / Women Lawyers
Spring Colloquy
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 Some Remedies to Sex Discrimination
in the Workplace; Where Have We Been and Where are We Headed?
Guest speaker, Faye Crosby, specializes in gender, social identity, social justice, and affirmative action issues, and is a professor at U.C.S.C.

April 23, 2010
Judicial Forum
Green Valley Grill, Watsonville
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Candidates:
John Gallagher * Philip Crawford * James Sibley
Running for Judge Robert Atack’s position
Rebecca Connolly * Steve Wright
Running for Judge Michael Barton’s position

February 10, 2010
WLSCC Meet & Greet
Meet Elected Women Officials and Judges
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January 28, 2010
Social Equity through an LGBTQ Lens
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