By Judge Dwayne Moring
The San Diego Superior Court launched a local Judicial Mentor Program (JMP) last year to encourage the development of a well-qualified and diverse judicial applicant pool with a varied background of legal practice areas.
In its inaugural year, there were 30 mentor judges from various assignments in the San Diego Superior Court who dedicated their time to assist potential judicial applicants with understanding the start-to-finish process for appointment to vacant seats on the bench.
2022 JMP mentees praised the benefits of the program in a mid-year survey, providing feedback that included:
- Participation in the program accelerated my timeline to apply for judicial appointment
- Having a mentor was inspiring
- The program was exceptional and gave me the confidence to apply
- The encouragement from my mentor made something that seemed impossible within my reach
- The one-on-one relationship was a great resource
- Frank discussions can benefit any potential applicant
Even more impressive, more than 70% of the survey respondents indicated that they are now more likely to apply or had already submitted their application for judicial appointment.
If you would like to be paired with an experienced judicial mentor to provide guidance and encouragement as you prepare for the judicial application process, please complete an application for the Judicial Mentor Program by October 31, 2022.
Judicial Mentor Program applicant requirements:
- The program will accept applicants with a minimum of 8 years’ experience as an attorney in California; however, priority will be given to attorneys with 10 years or more of experience.
- Licensed in California for at least 8 years
- Good standing with the State Bar of California and the community
- Commitment to public service
- Have not yet submitted an application for judicial appointment
For more information on the San Diego Superior Court’s Judicial Mentor Program or to download an application, please visit sdcourt.ca.gov/JudicialMentorProgram.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Roderick Shelton serves on the statewide Trial Court Mentor Program Working Group. The local Judicial Mentor Program committee is chaired by Judge Dwayne Moring and additional committee members include Judges Judy Bae, Alexander Calero, Rachel Cano, Cynthia Freeland and Garry Haehnle.