EDITORIAL
Chong, Céspedes, and Shepard: Mentors and Role Models By Justice George Nicholson (ret.)
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lmost 35 years ago, Jerry Chong, Luis Céspedes, and Judge Renard Shepard, became presidents of their respective bar associations, the Asian Bar of Sacramento, the La Raza Lawyers (now the Cruz Reynoso Bar Association), and the Wiley Manuel Bar Association. When they took their respective offices, their three bar associations were engaged in fierce competition for the ear of the governor and for what they perceived to be too few judicial appointments for accomplished ethnic attorneys. The three men decided to set a different path, working together for the benefit of all bar associations and for ensuring sustained professional progress for ethnic bar associations and their members. In particular, they intended to, and did, end ethnic bar competition for judicial appointments by the governor. Their impact on bench and bar inclusivity has proven substantial and enduring, all the way to the state’s highest court, where Tani Cantil-Sakauye, a former trial judge and appellate justice in Sacramento, has served as chief justice of the California Supreme Court since 2010. The Chief Justice is the first Asian-Filipina American and the second woman to serve as the state’s chief justice. Russell Hom and Richard Sueyoshi are presiding judge and supervising civil judge of the Sacramento County Superior Court, respectively. In
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March 2021, Judge Hom was selected Judge of the Year by the Sacramento County Bar Association. Rob Bonta is the first Filipino American to serve as California Attorney General. Chong, Céspedes, and Shepard worked amicably and effectively with governors of both political parties ever since, including Governors Deukmejian, Wilson, Brown, Davis, and Schwarzenegger. Most recently, their shared vision received two remarkable successes at the hand of Governor Gavin Newsom: First, Governor Newsom named Céspedes as his Judicial Appointments Secretary. (For more information about this appointment, see George Nicholson, “Visionary becomes state’s new judicial appointments secretary,” Los Angeles Daily Journal, https://www.dailyjournal.com/articles/361034-visionary-becomes-state-s-new-judicial-appointments-secretary.) Second, Governor Newsom announced creation of a judicial mentoring project to encourage more lawyers to apply for positions on California’s trial and appellate benches. (See Press Release, Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, “Governor Newsom Launches California Judicial Mentor Program to Promote a Diverse and Inclusive Judiciary,” (July 1, 2021), https:// www.gov.ca.gov/2021/07/01/ governor-newsom-launches-california-judicial-men-
SACRAMENTO LAWYER | Fall 2021 | www.sacbar.org
George Nicholson is an Associate Justice (ret.) of the Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District
tor-program-to-promote-a-diverse-and-inclusive-judiciary.) With Céspedes, Judge Paul A. Bacigalupo, Los Angeles County Superior Court, and a former president of the California Judges Association, co-chairs the executive committee of the governor’s Judicial Mentoring Project. Justice Martin Jenkins, California Supreme Court (Governor Newsom’s first Judicial Appointments Secretary), Presiding Justice Lee Smalley Edmon, Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District (Los Angeles), and Justice Teri Jackson, Court of Appeal, First Appellate District (San Francisco), serve as appellate court representatives on the committee. Judge Erica Yew, Santa Clara County Superior Court, represents medium and large counties, and Judge Todd Bottke, Tehama County Superior Court, represents small and rural counties. Some courts will work together on regional mentorship programs, including those in Sacramento, Yolo, and El Dorado counties. (See, “California Judicial Mentor Program, Sacramento County,” https://www.saccourt.ca.gov/ outreach/california-judicial-mentor-program.aspx; more generally, see “Mentor Future Judicial Officers: Judicial Officer Mentorship Program,” https://www.courts. ca.gov/partners/judicial-officer-mentorship-program.htm.) “The ‘Stronger Together: Judicial
