Nominations Sought for 2011 Aranda Access to Justice Award

The Hon. Benjamin Aranda

The California Commission on Access to Justice is seeking nominations of a California judge for the 2011 Benjamin Aranda III Access to Justice Award. Nominations are due by May 27, 2011. Nomination forms should be submitted to Chris Zupanovich, Staff, Commission on Access to Justice (see full address below).

First presented in 1999, the award, named for the founding chair of the Judicial Council’s Access and Fairness Advisory Committee, honors a judge or commissioner who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to improving access to our courts, and who has personally done significant work in improving access for low and moderate income Californians. The following are past recipients of the award:

1999 – Hon. Judith McConnell, San Diego Superior Court
2000 – Hon. Veronica S. McBeth, Los Angeles Superior Court
2001 – Hon. Charles Campbell, Ventura Superior Court
2002 – Hon. Donna J. Hitchens, San Francisco Superior Court
2003 – Hon. Kenneth M. Kawaichi, Alameda Superior Court
2004 – Hon. Earl Johnson, Jr., Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District
2005 – Hon. Aviva Bobb, Los Angeles Superior Court
2006 – Hon. Donna M. Petre, Yolo Superior Court
2007 – Hon. Kathleen E. O’Leary, Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District
2008 – Hon. Francisco Firmat, Orange County Superior Court
2009 – Hon. Gordon Baranco, Alameda County Superior Court
2010 – Hon. Laurie D. Zelon, Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District


The specific criteria for issuing the award are:

• Dedication to improving access to our judicial system for low and moderate income Californians;
• Commitment to increasing the involvement of volunteer attorneys in the representation of the indigent;
• Successful establishment of a model system for providing assistance to self-represented litigants;
• Successful establishment of a model cooperative effort with local legal services programs or bar associations designed to improve available representation for low or moderate income litigants; or
• Other significant activities demonstrating a long-term commitment to improving the accessibility of our judicial system for all Californians, regardless of income.

The California Commission on Access to Justice will select the award recipient in consultation with the Judicial Council, the State Bar and the California Judges Association, and will present the award at the Fall of 2011.

Mailed nominations are preferred. A copy of the nomination form and accompanying materials (loose pages, no staples) should be submitted (by May 27, 2011) to Chris Zupanovich, Staff, Commission on Access to Justice, State Bar of California, 180 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1639.  (415) 538-2534.   FAX:  (415) 538-2524. See further information on the State Bar and Judicial Council web sites.