William E. Davis

Shortly following the oath of office by Chief Justice Lucas in February 1987, William E. Davis was appointed Administrative Director by the Judicial Council. Mr. Davis also was a member of the California Bar and, like Ralph Kleps, was no stranger to the Judicial Council, having served under Mr. Kleps as a staff attorney from 1973 to 1975. Mr. Davis served as the director of the Administrative Office of the Courts in his home state of Kentucky (1975–1979). In addition, between his service in Kentucky and his appointment as Administrative Director in California, Mr. Davis served as circuit executive of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco (1981–1986).

He became one of the pioneers in judicial administration with experience as the administrative head of court systems in more than one state.

As Administrative Director of the Courts in 1987, Davis played a central role in transforming how California’s judicial branch planned and set policy. Under the new leadership of Chief Justice Malcolm M. Lucas and Davis, the Judicial Council shifted from a largely reactive posture to a proactive, policy-driven one. Davis helped guide the council’s first-ever annual plan, which identified major issues affecting the courts and established clear priorities for addressing them—such as reducing delays, improving funding, enhancing uniformity, expanding automation, and promoting fairness and public access.