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Distinguished Service Award to Be Conferred on Presiding Justice Edmon, Justice Slough
Aranda Award to Go to Justice Juhas
By a MetNews Staff Writer
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The graphic above was released yesterday by the Judicial Council. Depicted are, from left, Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Lee Edmon, Court of Appeal Justice Marsha Slough, and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark A. Juhas. |
Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Lee Edmon of this district’s Div. Three will receive the Judicial Council’s 2023 “Distinguished Service Award,” it was announced yesterday.
That award will also be conferred on Court of Appeal Justice Marsha Slough of the Fourth District’s Div. Two, and the Aranda Access to Justice Award will be conferred on Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark A. Juhas, the Judicial Council said.
Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero commented:
“These court leaders have made an impact far beyond their own courtrooms to create lasting legacies throughout the judicial branch. Their commitment to upholding our mission of diversity and inclusivity, and fair and equal access to justice has set a remarkable standard for all to follow.”
Edmon’s Activities
The Judicial Council’s statement says that Edmon, a past presiding judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court, “has been instrumental in supporting efforts to expand the diversity of California’s judiciary,” elaborating:
“She serves as co-chair of the California Judicial Mentor Program for the appellate courts, which expanded branch diversity efforts to support attorneys interested in becoming appellate justices. She also served as the national co-chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation Judicial Intern Opportunity Program, which provides opportunities for diverse law students to serve as summer interns with state and federal judges across the country.”
It adds:
“In addition to efforts to increase judicial diversity, Presiding Justice Edmon has worked to expand legal assistance to those who can’t afford it. She chaired a State Bar task force to find innovative solutions to the justice gap and expand legal help available to low-income Californians.”
Slough’s Leadership Roles
The Judicial Council said that Slough “has been a leading voice on key branch initiatives through three consecutive terms on the Judicial Council,” noting:
“She chaired the council’s Executive and Planning Committee and played a key role in drafting emergency court rules during the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped curb the spread of the virus in California jails, reduce evictions and foreclosures, and encourage the use of remote technology to maintain access to the courts. Justice Slough led a statewide Workgroup on Post-Pandemic Initiatives that examined and promoted innovative practices employed by courts during the pandemic. She also chaired the Code of Civil Procedure Section 367.9 Working Group which provided recommendations on how courts can use remote proceedings in civil cases while also providing equal access to the process for all participants.
“In addition to her leadership during the pandemic, Justice Slough helped lead efforts to create pretrial programs that use risk assessment tools, support services, and reminder systems that have shown promise in reducing rearrests and failures to appear for defendants released awaiting trial. She chaired the Pretrial Reform and Operations Workgroup, which launched pretrial pilots that have since grown to include programs in all 58 counties.”
Juhas’s Award
Juhas is to receive the award named after the Benjamin Aranda III, who served as a judge of the Los Angeles Municipal Court and was founding president of the Hispanic National Bar Association. He died Jan. 28, 1998.
Co-sponsoring the award—given out nearly every year since 1999—are the California Lawyers Association and the California Judges Association, in association with the California Commission on Access to Justice.
The award, according to the Judicial Council. “honors a judge demonstrating a long-term, tireless commitment to improving, and promoting fairness and access to, the courts, especially for low-and moderate-income Californians.”
It said in its statement yesterday said that Juhas “has worked to improve services and access to justice in family court, particularly for low- and moderate-income litigants,” adding:
“That work included recommended changes to statutes and court rules and helped create a program to educate and promote the practice of family law to attorneys statewide.
“Judge Juhas was also the longtime chair of the California Access to Justice Commission, including work to create the commission’s Incubator Project. The project is part of a national movement to connect practical training for newer lawyers to help provide affordable legal assistance to low- and moderate-income clients on a range of topics, including family and housing law, labor code violations, and consumer debt.
“Judge Juhas has also led efforts to improve services for self-represented litigants. He has served on the Project Advisory Board of the Self-Represented Litigation Network, the Judicial Council’s Task Force on Self-Represented Litigants, and the American Bar Association’s Standing committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants. He also serves on the Los Angeles County Law Library Board of Trustees, creating educational programs to assist self-represented litigants.”
Copyright 2023, Metropolitan News Company