Supporting Women Judges Statewide
“We are building a community—a safe, supportive space where women judges can feel seen, heard, and comfortable enough to share what they believe.”— Judge Audra Ibarra, Santa Clara County
Our Mission
California Women Judges supports and empowers women judicial officers throughout the state. We advocate for meaningful equity and inclusion of all women within the judicial branch, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, gender*, or sexual orientation, through education, leadership, mentoring, and outreach.
* Gender for the purposes of CWJ’s mission statement includes all gender identities and expressions.
"If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair."— Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm
“This organization was founded by women who aspired to more than a collapsible seat but instead sought to reshape the head table into a circular model with no pre-determined seating chart. So, come join us. We’ll gladly make room at the table.”— Judge Nicole Bershon, Los Angeles County
What We Do
To help women judges advance in their careers, develop their skills, and support one another as we navigate the judicial system.
To help cultivate leaders of courtrooms, courts, communities, the judiciary and the state.
To help every member build a personal board of directors: colleagues who encourage one another to seek out new opportunities and challenge the status quo.
Personalized outreach to judges across the state—those who are new to the bench and those with more experience—to introduce them to CWJ.
Coming Up
Stay Connected
Join Us
California Women Judges is one of California’s newest judicial organizations.
CWJ began with a question from Judge Samantha Jessner of the Los Angeles Superior Court:
“Why don’t women judges in California have an organization that supports women, develops women for leadership, provides a space in which to discuss issues related to the challenges women face on the bench, and generally provide an environment of support and strength?”
— Judge Samantha P. Jessner, Los Angeles County
An exploratory committee of nineteen judges from around the state took up that question, holding its first call on September 29, 2021.
“What started as a seed quickly germinated.”
— Judge Michelle Williams Court, Central District of California
Judge Samantha Jessner, Los Angeles County, starts the conversation, and an exploratory committee of nineteen judges holds its first call. Geographic, experiential and personal diversity are key.
CWJ launches with a standing-room-only gathering at the California Judges Association Annual Meeting.
The Founding Board is sworn in and votes California Women Judges into existence, and CWJ’s bylaws are formally adopted.
Eighty-five women and men join as life members. CWJ creates liaison seats on its board for the Association of African American California Judicial Officers, the California Asian Pacific American Judges Association, the California Latino Judges Association and LGBT Judicial Officers of California (LGBTJOC), and joins the California Affinity Judges Association Coalition.
Former Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye swears in the 2025–2026 Board. Judge Michelle Williams Court, CWJ’s first president, passes the baton to Judge Audra Ibarra.
Issue 1 of the CWJ Newsletter is published.
Over 40 members gather in Pasadena for CWJ’s first members-only reception. President Ibarra presents the inaugural Founders Award to Judge Samantha Jessner.
Members hear from leaders including former Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Judicial Council Administrative Director Shelley Curran and NCSC President Beth Clement.
CWJ becomes an Affiliate Organization of the California Judges Association, joining CJA’s other independent affinity organizations in a strategic partnership to expand educational programming and promote diversity, inclusion and equal access to leadership within the judicial branch.
The board selects CWJ’s official color palette, Ivory & Periwinkle, and every choice carries meaning.
CWJ launches its inaugural Summer Internship Program, placing 21 law students with CWJ judicial officers, and introduces Midday Musings, the CWJ Book Club.
The board selects CWJ’s new logo, a seal submitted by Judge Amy Yerkey, Los Angeles County, in CWJ’s member logo design contest.
CWJ has grown to more than 300 members across the state.
Dedicated judicial officers from courts across California, working together to advance equity and empower women in the judiciary.
The judicial officers who have led California Women Judges, by board term.
March 5, 2024
On March 5, 2024, the Founding Board was sworn in and voted California Women Judges into existence, and CWJ’s bylaws were formally adopted.
Founding Board Members
Launching Fall 2026. More is coming soon.
This year, California Women Judges formed the California Women Judges Foundation, a separate organization that is home to the Samantha Jessner, California Women Judges, Founder Scholarship.
“CWJ is not simply about celebrating how far women have come. It is about making sure the women coming behind us have an even stronger foundation on which to build.”
— Judge Michelle Ialeggio, San Diego County
More about the CWJ Foundation is coming soon. Check back here for updates.
The Foundation’s inaugural officers.
A $1,000 scholarship for law students in CWJ’s Summer Internship Program.
The inaugural officers of the California Women Judges Foundation.
The Samantha Jessner, California Women Judges, Founder Scholarship
About the Scholarship
Each year, CWJ awards one $1,000 scholarship to a law student in its Summer Internship Program, which places first-year students from accredited California law schools with CWJ members across the state. Every intern placed through the program may apply by submitting a short essay on how they have demonstrated a commitment to the advancement of women. The Law Student Internships & Scholarships Committee reviews the essays and recommends a recipient to the CWJ Board for approval.
Named for Our Founder
The scholarship honors Judge Samantha P. Jessner of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, CWJ’s founder. She started the conversation that became California Women Judges by asking how women leaders in the judicial branch could create a safe space for women judges to talk about empowerment, inclusion, mentorship, support, education and scholarship.
Learn more about Judge Jessner →“This is an organization that was very much needed, and I have no doubt will make a meaningful difference in the professional and personal lives of many judges.”
— Judge Samantha P. Jessner, Los Angeles County
Scholarship Recipients
Honoring the founders who brought California Women Judges to life.
About the Award
The CWJ Founders Award recognizes the founders whose vision and work brought California Women Judges into being, and who brought together and supported the network of women judges across the state that formed CWJ.
The Inaugural Award
On September 14, 2025, at CWJ’s first members-only reception in Pasadena, President Audra Ibarra presented the inaugural Founders Award to Judge Samantha P. Jessner of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. President Ibarra noted the critical impact Judge Jessner had in bringing to the table and supporting a network of women across the state to form California Women Judges.
At the same reception, President Ibarra announced the scholarship named in Judge Jessner’s honor, the Samantha Jessner, California Women Judges, Founder Scholarship.
Award Recipients
The visionary leaders who laid the groundwork for California Women Judges.
On September 29, 2021, an exploratory committee of nineteen judges from around the state held its first call and began the work that became CWJ. Geographic, experiential and personal diversity were key. Over months of conversation, the committee laid the foundation for the organization, and CWJ launched in 2023.
“I can say with complete confidence that the rich and substantive debates we had over months of conversation resulted in the formation of a solid foundation from which we eventually created CWJ.”
— Judge Michelle Williams Court, Central District of California
The Committee
The judicial officers who started California Women Judges.
CWJ's work is carried by eleven standing committees. Choose a committee to see what it does and who leads it.
Every CWJ committee, the judges who led it, and what it accomplished, by term.
Photos
Interested in joining this committee or learning more? Fill out the form and we'll connect you with the committee's co-chairs.
Join This Committee →Click a date to see its events.
Event Flyers
Archive
Official CWJ merchandise is coming soon.
To place an order, please contact CaliforniaWomenJudges@gmail.com with the item(s) you'd like and your preferred size (where applicable).
Become part of a statewide community dedicated to supporting and empowering women judicial officers across California.
We welcome you to apply for membership if you are a current or retired California state judge, federal judge, federal magistrate, commissioner, or Administrative Law Judge employed by the State of California.
CWJ was founded by women who sought to build a community where every woman on the bench has a voice, a champion, and a seat at the table. Membership connects you to a powerful network of colleagues from every corner of the state.
Official Affiliate of the California Judges Association. CWJ is one of CJA’s independent affinity organizations, working alongside CJA to expand educational programming and to support a judiciary that reflects the communities it serves. CWJ keeps its own membership and dues.
Connect with women judicial officers from courts across California at events, receptions, and gatherings.
Access education programs, distinguished speaker series, and leadership development opportunities.
Pair with experienced colleagues for guidance, support, and wisdom as you navigate your judicial career.
Join our collective voice advocating for meaningful equity and inclusion within the judicial branch.
Ready to join? For membership information, please contact us at CaliforniaWomenJudges@gmail.com or visit the membership portal below.
Stay connected with the latest news, member spotlights, committee updates, and upcoming events.
Newsletter Co-Editors: Judge Wendy McGuire Coats & Justice Amy Guerra
How California Women Judges handles your information, and the terms for using this website.
By using californiawomenjudges.org, you agree to these terms. California Women Judges (“CWJ,” “we”) may update them at any time by posting a new version on this page.
Information only. This website shares news about CWJ, its members, programs and events. Nothing on it is legal advice, a judicial opinion, or the official position of any court. Articles, quotes and remarks by individual judicial officers reflect their own views, not those of CWJ or their courts.
No case communications. CWJ’s members and board are judicial officers. Please do not use this website, its contact forms or CWJ’s email to send information about any pending or upcoming case. We cannot read, answer or act on it.
Our content and seal. The text, photos, newsletters and design of this website belong to CWJ or the people who shared them with us. The CWJ seal and name may not be used without CWJ’s written permission. You are welcome to share links to our pages.
Members-only materials. Member login, the member directory and other members-only materials are on our membership site, hosted by WildApricot. They are for CWJ members’ own use and should not be shared outside the membership.
Links to other sites. We link to partner organizations, event registration pages and other websites. We are not responsible for their content, accuracy or privacy practices.
No guarantees. We work to keep this website accurate and available, but it is provided as is. Event details can change; please check the registration page for the latest information.
California law. These terms are governed by the laws of the State of California.
CWJ collects only the information you choose to send us, uses it only to respond and to run CWJ, and never sells or rents it.
We use what you send to answer you, pass your message to the right committee or board member, and keep a record of CWJ’s correspondence. We do not add you to a mailing list because you wrote to us.
CWJ uses a few outside services to run this website. Each has its own privacy policy.
| Service | What it does for CWJ | What it receives |
|---|---|---|
| Google (Forms, Sheets, Gmail, Drive, Fonts) | Receives contact messages and emails them to CWJ; shows event flyers, committee photos and the events calendar; supplies the site’s fonts | Your contact message; when pages load, your IP address and browser details |
| GoDaddy | Hosts this website | Standard server records |
| WildApricot | Runs member login, the member directory, dues, event registration and payments | Whatever you enter there |
| PayPal | Processes payments made through WildApricot | Your payment details; CWJ never sees or stores your card number |
| Zoom | Runs registration for our virtual programs | Your registration answers |
We share personal information only with these service providers, with CWJ Board Members and Committee Co-Chairs who need it to respond, or when the law requires it. When CWJ joins with partner organizations on events, we email our own members directly; we never give out our membership list or members’ contact information.
Contact messages are kept in CWJ’s password-protected Google account, open only to CWJ Board Members and Committee Co-Chairs. We keep them as long as CWJ needs them for its records and delete them on request. No system is perfectly secure, so please don’t send sensitive personal information through the contact form.
Our newsletters, committee pages and event listings include photos from CWJ events. If you appear in a photo and would like it removed, contact us and we will take it down.
See, correct or delete your information. Email us to ask what we have from you, to correct it, or to delete it. Members can update their own profile and email preferences after logging in to the membership site.
California residents. CWJ does not share personal information with anyone for their own marketing. Under California Civil Code section 1798.83, you may ask us about this at the address below.
Do Not Track. CWJ does not track visitors over time or across other websites. Google may set its own cookies when images stored on Google Drive load, as described above. Because CWJ does no tracking of its own, this website does not respond differently to browser “Do Not Track” signals.
Children. This website is for judicial officers and the public interested in CWJ. It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their information.
Changes to this policy. If we change this page, we will post the new version here with a new effective date.
Contact us. Questions about this page: CaliforniaWomenJudges@gmail.com or our Contact page.
Effective October 23, 2026.
Questions about membership, events, or CWJ? We'd love to hear from you.
Reach Out
Whether you have questions about membership, want to volunteer for a committee, have an idea for the newsletter, or want to host a gathering — we'd love to hear from you.