You may recognize Judge Lorna Alksne from your living room. Or, possibly, your patio.
Judge CJ Mody, who joined the bench in January 2021, is the first South Asian American judge to sit on the San Diego Superior Court. Born in Bombay, India, now known as Mumbai, Judge Mody was 12 years old when he and his family immigrated to the United States. With aspirations to create educational opportunities for the children, Judge Mody’s family made the move to San Diego in the late 1980’s.
Judge Tamila Ebrahimi Ipema is the first Iranian-American Judge appointed to the bench of the California Superior Court in San Diego. She was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. Her father, a human rights activist and lawyer, instilled the importance of education in his children, including Judge Ipema. Her parents gave her the choice of marrying young, as her mother and grandmother had done before her, or pursuing an education. Judge Ipema chose the latter and obtained her bachelor’s degree from Damavand College in Tehran, Iran, by the age of 20.
The Honorable Robert P. Dahlquist has been a judge for North County San Diego Superior Court for 18 years. Judge Dahlquist was born and largely raised near Salt Lake City, Utah. As the middle child of five kids, Judge Dahlquist learned many lessons from his family. He remembers seeing both his parents work hard to make a living, even though there were not many working mothers at that time. Often, his father worked two jobs (one during the day and another part-time at night). Even though Judge Dalhquist’s parents were not college-educated, they impressed on him and his siblings that education was the only way to advance, and always encouraged him to pursue education.
Higgs Fletcher & Mack partner Maggie Schroedter went from not knowing a single person in San Diego ten years ago to being named this year’s incoming president of Lawyers Club of San Diego.
Judge Parker advises new attorneys to stand up for what is right and never stifle your voice.
In this variation of our usual “Tips from the Bench,” this Tips from the Bar column features advice from an experienced attorney with a longstanding history in San Diego.
Judge Elias advises new trial lawyers to not be afraid to ask questions of the judge or another lawyer, and to not be afraid of losing an issue or a case.
There is not a day that goes by when Judge Whitney does not wake up excited to go to court.
Judge Frazier offers practical advice for new lawyers: determine which area of law you like the best, gain as much exposure as you can, network, and be open to broadening your horizons.
