Division Four: Associate Justice Audra M. Mori

In 2018, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. appointed Audra Mori to the Los Angeles Superior Court, where she presided over civil and family law cases. While there, she was appointed to serve as Chair of the Los Angeles Superior Court Judicial Mentor Program and was a member of numerous other court committees. In 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed her as an Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Four. Justice Mori was unanimously confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments after receiving an “exceptionally well qualified” rating from the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation.

Justice Mori was born and raised in Los Angeles County. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her law degree from Cornell Law School.

After law school, Justice Mori clerked for the Honorable Richard W. Goldberg of the United States Court of International Trade and worked at large law firms. For much of her career, she worked at Perkins Coie LLP, where she practiced intellectual property and commercial litigation and served in various leadership roles. She was the first woman of color to serve as Managing Partner of a firm office. She also served as Chair of the firm’s global Diversity Committee.

Justice Mori has held leadership positions in several bar associations. She was President of the Japanese American Bar Association and a Regional Governor of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Litigation Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and has co-chaired its Programs Committee.