Joyce Kennard

Joyce Kennard

Nonpartisan

Prior offices

California Supreme Court

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Education

Bachelor's

University of Southern California, 1971

Graduate

University of Southern California, 1974

Law

Gould School of Law, 1974

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Joyce L. Kennard is a former associate justice on the seven-member California Supreme Court. She was appointed to the court in the state's Commission-selection, political appointment method of judicial selection in April of 1989 by Governor George Deukmejian. Kennard was retained to additional twelve-year terms in November 1994 and November 2006. She is the first Asian-American, and only the second woman, to serve on the state's high court. Kennard retired from the court on April 5, 2014.

Education

Kennard was born during a turbulent time in West Java, Indonesia. Her father died in a prison camp when Kennard was only one year old and she and mother were forced to live in a camp. In 1951, she and her mother emigrated to what was then Dutch New Guinea, and when Kennard was 14, they moved to Holland. As a teenager, Kennard's leg was amputated, and she now walks with aid of a prosthesis.

Justice Kennard underwent surgery in 2010 to remove a benign stomach growth. The surgery sidelined Kennard from May through June, yet she participated in rulings during this time by watching video recordings of court proceedings.

Education

Kennard earned her undergraduate degree with Honors Extraordinary from the University of Southern California in 1971. She earned a Masters degree magna cum laude in Public Administration and her J.D. from Gould School of Law, University of Southern California.

Career

• 1989-2014: Associate Justice, California Supreme Court
• 1988-1989: Judge, California Courts of Appeal
• 1987-1988: Judge, California Superior Courts
• 1986-1987: Judge, Los Angeles Municipal Court
• 1978-1986: Senior Attorney for the California Courts of Appeal
• 1974-1978: Deputy Attorney General, Los Angeles

Awards and associations

Awards

• Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Southern California Asian Pacific Alumni Association, 2010
• Emil Gumpert ADR Judicial Services Award, Dispute Resolution Services, Inc., 2008
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Queen's Bench, 2007
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Japanese American Bar Association of Greater Los Angeles, 2006
• Alumni Merit Award, University of Southern California School of Policy, Planning, and Development, 2006
• Award, San Mateo County Chapter of Organization of Chinese Americans, 2005
• Judicial Council Award, Judicial Council of California, 2004
• Justice Rose Bird Memorial Award, California Women Lawyers, 2001
• Public Service Award, Asian Pacific American Bar Association, 2001
• Legal Impact Award, Asian Law Alliance, 2000
• Award, Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California, 1997
• Award, San Francisco Women Lawyers Alliance, 1997
• Award, Council of Asian Pacific Islanders Together for Active Leadership (C.A.P.I.T.A.L.), 1997
• Award, Marin Women's Hall of Fame, 1997
• Spirit of Excellence Award, American Bar Association's Commission on Opportunities for Minorities in the Profession, 1996
• St. Thomas More Medallion Award, St. Thomas More Law Honor Society, 1995
• Trailblazer Award, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, 1994
• Founders' Award, National Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (NAPALSA), 1994
• Access Award, Los Angeles County Commission on Disabilities, 1994
• Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, American Bar Association, 1993
• Award, ABA Task Force on Opportunities for Minorities, Judicial Administration Division and Commission on Opportunities for Minorities in the Profession, 1992
• Netherlands-American Heritage Award, Netherlands-American Arts and Cultural Foundation, 1992
• "Chinese-American Pioneers from Southern California in the Judiciary" Award, Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, 1992
• "Women of the 90's" Award, Robinson's Department Store, 1992
• Justice of the Year Award, California Trial Lawyers Association, 1991
• Justice of the Year, California Trial Lawyers Association, 1991
• Award, Asian/Pacific Women's Network, 1991
• Distinguished Alumni Award, Community College League of California, 1991
• Award, YWCA Los Angeles, 1991
• Award, Governor's Hall of Fame for People With Disabilities, 1990
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Independent Living Center of Southern California, l990
• Award for Contributing to the Progress of Dignity and Self-Esteem Among Amputees, Sacramento Women Amputees Group's, 1990
• Alumni Merit Award, University of Southern California, l990
• Award, San Fernando Valley Bar, 1990
• Ernestine Stahlhut Award, Women Lawyers' Association of Los Angeles, l990
• American Jurisprudence Award in Torts, University of Southern California, 1974
• Pfiffner Award for the Outstanding Thesis of the Academic Year, University of Southern California, 1974

Associations

• Member, Alpha Mu Gamma
• Member, Alpha Gamma Sigma
• Member, Phi Beta Kappa sorority
• Member, Phi Kappa Phi sorority
• Chair, Judicial Council of California, Appellate Advisory Committee, 1996-2005

Elections

2006

California Supreme Court, Associate Justice 2006 General election results
Candidates		Votes	Percent
Joyce Kennard		4,395,470	74.6%
Against retention		1,501,183	25.4%

• Click here (scroll to page 28) (dead link) for 2006 General Election Results from the California Secretary of State.

Political ideology

See also: Political ideology of State Supreme Court Justices

In October 2012, political science professors Adam Bonica and Michael Woodruff of Stanford University attempted to determine the partisan ideology of state supreme court justices. They created a scoring system in which a score above 0 indicated a more conservative-leaning ideology, while scores below 0 were more liberal.

Kennard received a campaign finance score of 0.34, indicating a conservative ideological leaning. This was more conservative than the average score of -0.32 that justices received in California.

The study was based on data from campaign contributions by the judges themselves, the partisan leaning of those who contributed to the judges' campaigns, or, in the absence of elections, the ideology of the appointing body (governor or legislature). This study was not a definitive label of a justice, but an academic summary of various relevant factors.

See also

• California
• California Supreme Court
• Judicial selection in California

External links

• SFGate.com, "Justices seem to be leaning in favor of Prop. 8," March 6, 2009
• American Bar Association, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2003, Joyce Kennard
• Associated Baptist Press, "California Supreme Court nullifies gay marriages," August 12, 2004