The Superior Courts of Marin, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma Counties jointly announce the establishment of a judicial mentor program, a regional collaboration in partnership with the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, to advance the shared goal of an inclusive judiciary that reflects California’s diversity. Governor Newsom launched the program in July, comprised of an appellate court mentor program and a trial court mentor program.
“Our state’s remarkable diversity is a point of pride and strength that I am committed to advancing at every level of state government,” said Governor Newsom. “This mentor program supports our efforts to identify the best and brightest judicial candidates from throughout the state, contributing to a stronger, more inclusive bench to better serve all Californians.”
Judges serving in the North Bay’s regional collaboration will communicate across sectors of the legal community—such as local bar associations, nonprofit legal organizations, local firms, and sole practitioners—to support and encourage lawyers considering service on local trial courts. The program will work to identify and provide judicial mentors for these individuals and serve as informational resources about the judicial appointment process, answer questions about the application and vetting process, and make recommendations to improve suitability for appointment.
“The process of applying, being vetted for, and ultimately selected for a judgeship can be cumbersome and daunting. Our goal is to help qualified individuals interested in serving as a bench officer, both as a supportive resource and mentor, as they navigate through the judicial application process. In doing so, we’ll be working collaboratively to encourage a diverse group of candidates to pursue public service as part of the state judiciary”
The California Judicial Mentor Program North Bay region is led by the following workgroup members:
For more information about the judicial mentor program, please refer to the
program’s website www.cajmentor.com.