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Join us on Wednesday, June 28 at 12:30 pm via Zoom for the next installment of Bench Stories, featuring Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye (Ret.). This program is free for anyone to attend. No CLE credit will be provided for this program.


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Meet the Chief Justice

Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye (Ret.) joins ADR Services, Inc. after an impressive judiciary career marked by extraordinary leadership and trailblazing initiatives. As the former leader of California’s judicial branch of government and chair of the Judicial Council, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye (Ret.) managed to successfully steer the court through two massive crises — the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, all the while fostering a culture of collaboration and collegiality on the bench, improving access to justice, and educating the public on the importance of the 3rd branch of government. Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye (Ret.) made history and became the first woman of color, the first Asian-Filipina American and the second woman to serve as the state’s Chief Justice.


During her twelve remarkable years at the helm of the state’s Supreme Court, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye (Ret.) emerged as one of the country’s leading advocates for equal access to justice, transparency, and the reform of state court funding models that unfairly impact low-income individuals. The Chief Justice was a leader in revitalizing civic learning through her Power of Democracy initiative, which was developed to inform the public about how the courts, both federal and state, play a key role in the state government. In an effort to improve transparency, when she became Chief Justice, she opened meetings of the Judicial Council and its advisory bodies that were once closed to the public and made public comment more accessible.


Read the full bio here.

Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye (Ret.) will be interviewed by Hon. Rupert A. Byrdsong of Los Angeles Superior Court.


The Honorable Rupert A. Byrdsong was appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court on June 18, 2014 by Governor Jerry Brown. He presently sits in Dept. 28 in the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles wherein he handles an unlimited jurisdiction individual court calendar with an inventory of over 700 cases. Prior to coming to Mosk, Judge Byrdsong was the first African-American to have an unlimited civil trials assignment at the Chatsworth Courthouse. He was also the first African-American assigned to the Complex Civil Department wherein he handled and coordinated all of the asbestos cases in Los Angeles County. Judge Byrdsong began his legal career with Ivie, McNeill, & Wyatt as a law clerk in 1994, became an associate in 1995, and became a partner in 2001. 

This program is presented by the Litigation section, chaired by Rudy Lehrer and vice chaired by Rachael C. Kogen. Find out more at www.bhba.org.


Bench Stories features a series of interviews with icons of the judiciary.

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