2012 Aranda Access to Justice Award

October 15, 2012

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2012 Aranda Access to Justice Award

Judge Juan Ulloa recognized for cross-border collaboration to meet the legal needs of his community

SAN FRANCISCO—Judge Juan Ulloa, of the Superior Court of Imperial County, was announced as the recipient of the 2012 Aranda Access to Justice Award. The award will be presented to Judge Ulloa by Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye at a ceremony in December.

Judge Ulloa was recognized for establishing a collaborative relationship with court and consulate officials from Mexico to better serve the legal needs of his community, as well as, for being a leader in court reform efforts and working to improve access to justice for all Imperial County residents.

Through the Imperial County Blue Ribbon Commission, Judge Ulloa used international collaboration to improve the services to bi-national families in the juvenile and family court systems. They worked with the state government of Baja California, the family court and court-appointed counsel, the university, and the Mexican government to remove jurisdictional and informational barriers and resolve cases.

Judge Ulloa has also participated in the Judicial Council’s California Tribal Court/State Court Forum working group with Judge Claudette White, Chief Judge of the Quechan Tribal Court, to establish protocols for coordinating, transferring, and monitoring cases that involve Quechan families in Imperial County.

The Judicial Council, the State Bar, and the California Judges Association cosponsor the award in association with the California Commission on Access to Justice. The award, named for the founding chair of the Judicial Council’s Access and Fairness Advisory Committee, Benjamin Aranda III, honors a trial judge or an appellate justice whose activities demonstrate a long-term commitment to improving access to justice.