On Working in the Appellate Court

On the Impact of the Camp Experience Coming into Japanese Culture and Heritage “I had no idea about studying law…” “How did I end up going to law school?” Opening Up Shop in Little Tokyo The Other Two JA women lawyers in Los Angeles—Chiyoko Sakamoto and Madge Watai On Generational Differences in JABA’s Early Years The Founding of JABA: Getting Judges Appointed “If I hadn’t gone to that meeting…” On Hon. Edward Kakita and JABA’s early efforts JABA: On Engaging Students and Community On the Importance of Role Models On Getting the Call from J. Anthony Kline On Being a New Judge and a New Mother On Justice Todd’s Daughter, Mia Doi Todd On Justice Todd’s Involvement with the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center On Working in the Appellate Court

Transcripts available in the following languages:

This is really quite a wonderful place to be and work. I enjoyed being on the trial court, I did enjoy being on the trial court, and I enjoyed all the different assignments that I had, but this allows you to be much more contemplative, and…it also permits you to see cases from the broad spectrum of [the work of] the Superior Court and since LA is such a big court, if you are assigned to civil, you just hear civil cases. If you’re assigned to probate, you hear probate. Family law, et cetera. And then you might do that for a year, you might do it for several years. I was in the juvenile court for a long time. But, here, you get cases from every…every part of the Superior Court. So it’s very interesting. And so I feel like I’m learning something new every calendar, or every group of cases that I get. Not every case is that exciting, but there’s always something to be learned here. So that part of it is really nice.

Date: July 10, 2012
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Lawrence Lan
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum; Japanese American Bar Association

Appellate Court California law Superior Court