Advisory Committee on Providing Access and Fairness

October 19, 2023 Meeting (Open)

12:15pm - 1:15pm

• Notice and Agenda
• Materials

Past Advisory Committee on Providing Access & Fairness Meetings

• Appellate justice;
• Trial court judicial officer;
• Lawyer with expertise or interest in disability issues;
• Lawyer with expertise or interest in additional access, fairness, and diversity issues addressed by the committee;
• Lawyer from a trial court self-help center;
• Legal services lawyer;
• Court executive officer or trial court manager who has experience with self-represented litigants;
• County law librarian or other related professional;
• Judicial administrator; and
• Public member

The Chief Justice appoints two advisory committee members to serve as co-chairs. Each co-chair is responsible for leading the advisory committee's work in the following areas:

1. Physical, programmatic, and language access; fairness in the courts; and diversity in the judicial branch; and
2. Issues confronted by self-represented litigants and those of limited or moderate income, including economic, education, and language challenges. 

Download the Committee Roster. 

• Hon. Kevin C. Brazile, Co-chair, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles 
• Hon. Victor A. Rodriguez, Co-chair, Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division Three
• Hon. Sue Alexander (Ret.), Commissioner of the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda
• Ms. Morgan Baxter, Deputy Court Executive Officer of Operations, Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino
• Hon. Judith K. Dulcich, Assistant Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Kern
• Hon. Rebekah Evenson, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda
• Ms. Ana Maria Garcia, Supervising Attorney Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County
• Hon. Amy K. Guerra, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Fresno
• Ms. Janet Hudec, Court Interpreter, Superior Court of California, County of Madera
• Hon. Clare Keithley, Assistant Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Butte
• Hon. Victoria Kolakowski, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda
• Hon. Sunil R. Kulkarni, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara
• Hon. Richard Y. Lee, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Orange
• Hon. Cynthia L. Loo, Commissioner of the Superior Court of California, County of Kern
• Ms. Shirley Luo, Program Manager, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence
• Hon. Elizabeth G. Macias, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Orange
• Ms. Nina Magno, Managing Attorney, Superior Court of California, County of Riverside
• Hon. Lia R. Martin, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
• Mr. Lawrence R. Meyer, Director, San Bernardino County Law Library
• Ms. Kemi Mustapha, Supervising Attorney, Bay Area Legal Aid
• Ms. Julie S. Paik (Ret.), City of Huntington Beach, Business Development
• Ms. Andrea Pella, Director of Prevention, Diversion and Re-Entry, San Diego County Public Safety Group
• Mr. Michael Powell, Court Executive Officer of the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo
• Hon. Michael Rhoads, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco
• Ms. Fariba R. Soroosh, Supervising Attorney, Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara
• Hon. Terry T. Truong, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
• Hon. Laura R. Walton, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
• Ms. Twila S. White, Attorney, Law Office of Twila S. White, Hermosa Beach
• Mr. Mitchell Kane Wunsh, Assistant Family Law Facilitator, Superior Court of California, County of Marin

CJER Advisory Committee Liaison

• Ms. Kristine Custodio Suero, Director & National Association of Legal Assistants Liaison, San Diego Paralegal Association, San Diego

Criminal Law Advisory Committee Liaison

• Hon. Audra Ibarra, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara
   

Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee Liaison

• Hon. Monica F. Wiley, Supervising Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco

Traffic Advisory Committee Liaison

• Hon. Bentrish Satarzadeh, Commissioner of the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda

Trial Court Presiding Judges Advisory Committee (TCPJAC) Liaison

• Hon. Maureen F. Hallahan, Assistant Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego

Information Technology Advisory Committee (ITAC) Liaison

• Hon. Louis R. Mauro, Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District

Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER) Liaison

• Ms. Chio Saephanh, Attorney, Center for Judiciary Education and Research, Judicial Council of California

Office of Governmental Affairs Liaison

• Ms. Aviva Simon, Attorney, Governmental Affairs, Judicial Council of California

Judicial Council Staff to the Committee

• Ms. Cristina Resendiz-Johnson, Attorney, Center for Families, Children & the Courts, Judicial Council of California
• Ms. Elizabeth Tam-Helmuth, Sr. Analyst, Center for Family, Children & the Courts, Judicial Council of California
• Ms. Amanda Morris, Administrative Coordinator, Center for Families, Children & the Courts, Judicial Council of California

Language Access Subcommittee

• Hon. Victor A. Rodriguez, Chair, Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division Three
• Ms. Janet Hudec, Court Interpreter, Superior Court of California, County of Madera
• Hon. Richard Y. Lee, Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Orange
• Ms. Shirley Luo, Program Manager, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence
• Ms. Julie S. Paik, Attorney, Orange County
• Ms. Fariba R. Soroosh, Supervising Attorney, Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara

Contact Information

Language Access Services
Ms. Elizabeth Tam-Helmuth, Subcommittee Lead Staff
elizabeth.tam@jud.ca.gov

Read more reports and publications from the Access and Fairness Advisory.

The committee makes recommendations for improving access to the judicial system, fairness in the state courts, diversity in the judicial branch, and court services for self-represented parties. In addition to the duties described in rule 10.34, the committee must recommend to the Governing Committee of the Center for Judicial Education and Research, proposals for the education and training of judicial officers and court staff.