JUDGE'S PROFILE: Former Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye’s Journey from the Bench to Retirement

Marrianne S. Taleghani

Former Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye was the 28th chief justice of the State of California. As the first Filipina and the second woman to serve on the state’s highest court, Chief Justice CantilSakauye has paved the way for numerous women aspiring to pursue careers in law and the judiciary. Her 32 years of service on all levels of the state’s courts, including 12 years as Chief Justice, are distinguished by remarkable progress and policy initiatives that continue to shape the landscape of our judicial system. Her leadership and vision during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic were especially critical, resulting in continuing access to our courts through the use of technology.

Since her retirement from the bench in 2023, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye has taken on two very distinct roles. She currently serves as the President & CEO of The Public Policy Institute of California and as a neutral with ADR Services, Inc. As the President and CEO of The Public Policy Institute of California, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye hopes to positively impact and influence the creation of good law that promotes innovation and sustainable policy solutions. As a mediator, she enjoys the ability to interact and engage with attorneys and their respective clients in a way that she was unable to as a judicial officer. She considers the level of engagement with the parties and their counsel to be the highlight of her mediation practice.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with the former chief justice following her transition from the bench. She shared valuable insights and words of advice for those currently serving on the judiciary and those aspiring to serve.

What does your day-to-day life look like since retirement?

Since her retirement, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye’s day-to-day life has changed considerably. For 32 years her life was regimented; marked with order and limitations. As a retired judge, she enjoys greater freedom and choice, including the ability to publicly voice her opinions. Although her life is no longer as structured as it was during her time on the bench, her new responsibilities keep her actively engaged.

What advice do you have for judges looking to retire or are thinking about retirement?

For judges looking to retire, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye’s advice is to mentally prepare yourself for the changes to come. These include changes to your title, position, reputation, and service to the community at large. Having served on the bench for over 32 years, she struggled to think outside of the black robe and had difficulty envisioning what would come after that phase of her career. While seemingly daunting at the onset, she characterizes these changes as refreshing. She laughed about her newfound liberation which includes the ability to walk into a Starbucks without her security detail and the comfort of being able to wear jeans on an airplane.

What do you miss about serving on the bench?

Among other things, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye misses the deep legal analysis that she and her colleagues engaged in regularly. The varying and informed points of views from her colleagues were especially valuable to her. She also misses the regular camaraderie and the people she worked with for over 10 years.

What advice do you have for women who are interested in pursuing a career in the judiciary?

Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye believes that the decision to become a judge is circumstantial and depends largely on your life circumstances. For her, the decision to become a judge took into account various factors such as her family, desire to increase her exposure to certain types of cases, and professional growth.

Wearing a black robe, by design, is meant to restrict you —to limit your opinions and choice. One aspiring to be judge must be prepared for that. Drawing from her own experience, she notes that it took time to adjust to her role as judge. Overtime, things will fall into place.

Her final advice to lawyers as a whole is to understand that we are so much more than our degree and title. Each one of us has a calling, tune in to that.

What inspired you to dedicate more than 30 years of your career to the judiciary?

Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye’s commitment to justice is what has kept her on the judiciary for over three decades. Her commitment to something greater than herself gave her a sense of purpose and motivation to keep showing up each day.