Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero California Supreme Court
Equal Justice
W hile growing up, Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero loved reading, writing, and the idea of becoming a lawyer. Her teachers even recommended she become a lawyer. So, when the time came, she applied to 15 law schools—and was accepted by every single one, including Stanford and Harvard. She became a lawyer in 1997 and eventually in 2013 a San Diego County Superior Appeals Court Judge. Then, Governor Gavin Newsom nominated her to the California Supreme Court in 2022, confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments and approved by voters in the November 2022 general election. On January 2, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom swore her into office as the 29th Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, the first Latina to serve in that position: “Justice Guerrero has established herself as a widely respected jurist with a formidable intellect and command of the law and deep commitment to equal justice and public service.” The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Chief Justice Guerrero was born and raised in the Imperial Valley. She credits her work ethic to her mother, who cared for neighborhood children and her father, who “worked such long, hard hours—often in 110-degree heat—and he did it without complaint,” Chief Justice Guerrero said in a 2023 interview with Stanford Lawyer magazine, “…He said he worked hard because he had to, so that I could work at finding something I love.”
She found something she loved.
Chief Justice Guerrero graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, magna cum laude and earned a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 1997. Right after graduation, Latham & Watkins LLP hired her, where she worked trials. In 2002, she worked at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of California, prosecuting drug and immigration matters. In 2013, Guerrero served as a judge of the San Diego Superior Court, and oversaw the family law division there in 2017. Active in the “Judges in the Classroom” civics program, Justice Guerrero encourages students to learn about the role of the judiciary and how it aligns with our communities.
CA Supreme Court Justice Patricia Guerrero Being sworn-in, January 2, 2003 (Photo courtesy © State of CA)
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San Diego Latino Legacy – Timeline • Milestones • Stories
Chapter 7 – Latino Notables
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