Distinguished Service Awards

Distinguished Service Award honoring excellence text logo
 

INVITATION TO NOMINATE

The Chief Justice and Judicial Council invite your nominations for the Judicial Council of California’s Distinguished Service Awards. As the highest award bestowed by our state judicial branch, this award serves as an opportunity to celebrate those who personify the ideals of justice and champion the goals of California’s court system.

Beginning in 1993 and over the three decades since then, the council has presented Distinguished Service Awards to honor individuals, longtime branch partners, and organizations who, through their dedication to fair and equal access to justice, continue to advance the strategic goals of the Judicial Council for the betterment of California’s judicial branch: 

  • Access, fairness, diversity, and inclusion;
  • Independence and accountability;
  • Modernization of management and administration;
  • Quality of justice and service to the public;
  • Education for branchwide professional excellence;
  • Branchwide infrastructure for service excellence; and
  • Adequate, stable, and predictable funding for a fully functioning branch.

While the foundational obligations of our court system remain unchanged, the public service contributions being made by individuals have continued to broaden and diversify in scope over the years. In marking this 30th year of the Distinguished Service Awards, the Judicial Council looks forward to receiving your submissions for the 2023 nominees.

To Apply
Nomination form can be found here.

The deadline for nominations is June 30, 2023.
Questions can be directed to Kathy Joson, DSA@jud.ca.gov.

For a list of past recipients, visit Distinguished Service Award recipients 1993–2022.

Note: Current Judicial Council members are not eligible to receive the Distinguished Service Award.