Profile of Mary J. Greenwood

Administrative Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Sixth Appellate District (San Jose)
Current Term: July 1, 2026−September 14, 2029
Membership: Voting member appointed by Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero

Justice Mary J. Greenwood has served as the administrative presiding justice of the Court of Appeal, Sixth Appellate District, since her confirmation in January 2018 following her appointment by Governor Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown, Jr. In this role, she oversees the daily administration of her district and contributes to the statewide administration of the appellate courts on issues including budget, personnel, and facilities. Before joining the appellate bench, Justice Greenwood was the assistant supervising judge of the Family Division of the Superior Court of Santa Clara County, where she chaired the Self-Represented Litigant and Community Access Committee and served on the Supervising Judges Committee.

Prior to serving on the bench, Justice Greenwood spent 30 years with the Public Defender’s Office of Santa Clara County, representing clients in all aspects of criminal litigation, with a particular emphasis on serious felonies and homicides.

Justice Greenwood received a bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College and a juris doctor from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. More