Division Three: Associate Justice Luis A. Lavin
Justice Lavin was appointed to the Second Appellate District in 2015 by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. Since joining the Court of Appeal, he has also served as a pro tem justice on the California Supreme Court.Before his elevation to the Court of Appeal, Justice Lavin served on the Los Angeles Superior Court and presided over civil, criminal, and family law cases. Prior to his appointment to the trial court, he was Director of Enforcement and General Counsel for the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission. Before that, Justice Lavin served as a senior trial attorney with the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice. He had previously been in private practice, where he specialized in employment and commercial litigation.
Justice Lavin is a recipient of the Beacon of Justice Award and the Carlos R. Moreno Judicial Excellence Award, in recognition of his exceptional professional achievements and commitment to providing equal access to the justice system
Justice Lavin has taught as an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School, Southwestern Law School, and USC School of Law. He has also served as an instructor of judicial education for the California Center for Judicial Education and Research and the Los Angeles Superior Court.
A naturalized U.S. citizen born in Cuba, Justice Lavin attended public schools before graduating from Cornell University and Harvard Law School.