Friday, December 19, 2025
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Ninth Circuit Judges Offer Tributes to Ikuta
By a MetNews Staff Writer
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday released tributes to Sandra S. Ikuta, who was appointed to the court in 2006, took senior status last Nov, 7, and died Dec. 7.
Judge Eric C. Tung, who on Nov. 7 became Ikuta’s successor, reflected:
“This court has suffered a great loss with the passing of Judge Sandra Ikuta. She is irreplaceable and will stand among the pantheon of greats in the history of our federal judiciary. One who kept the faith in our Constitution to the end, Judge Ikuta will remain for me a fixed star.”
Callahan Comments
Judge Consuelo M. Callahan had this to say:
“With her brilliant and open mind and superb writing skills, she approached each case with no agenda and with a tireless work ethic.”
Callahan added:
“She treated all dissenting views with respect and collegiality. We all should aspire to the example she provided us for 20 years. Her legacy will live on, and the impact of her opinions will be felt for generations to come.”
Chief Judge Mary H. Murguia commented:
“Judge Ikuta served with distinction dining her long tenure on our court. She exemplified a tireless dedication to the rule of law, to collegiality, and to excellence in public service. Through her legendary work ethic, analytical rigor, and commitment to the court as an institution, Judge Ikuta deeply influenced our work and imbued the public with confidence in our administration of justice.”
‘Wonderful Judge’
Senior Judge Ferdinand F. Fernandez was quoted as saying:
“Her intelligence, knowledge, kindness, and fairness illuminated her relationships and decisions. All of that made her the wonderful judge, friend, and colleague that we all knew her to be.”
Senior Judge N. Randy Smith described Ikuta as “charitable, always willing to give to her staff as well as the court staff, and security officers.” He related:
“Judge Ikuta was truly dedicated. She took great care with her family, but also herself by exercising daily and would be at work from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm without breaks.”
Former Law Clerk
Annie H. Lee, a partner in the law firm of Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman, was one of Ikuta’s law clerks. She remarked:
“Judge Ikuta was a superlative jurist with a tremendous gift for cutting through complexity. I still hear her advice when facing thorny issues: ‘take it back to first principles’—whether that meant researching texts back to the Founding Fathers or simply remembering why we practice law. Her precision with language and commitment to principled reasoning continue to guide my practice fifteen years later.”
Born June 24, 1954, Ikuta received her law degree from UCLA in 1988. She clerked for then-Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski from 1988-89 and for then-U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, now deceased, from 1989-90.
Ikuta was a partner in O’Melveny & Myers when President George W. Bush nominated her as a judge of the Ninth Circuit. She was confirmed by the Senate on June 19, 2006, by an 81–0 vote.
Her death followed a long bout with pancreatic cancer.
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