Distinguished Service Awards

INVITATION TO NOMINATE

The Chief Justice and Judicial Council invite you to submit nominations for the Judicial Council of California’s Distinguished Service Award, the highest award bestowed by our state judicial branch.

Since 1993, the council has presented the Distinguished Service Award to honor and celebrate individuals, organizations, and branch partners that exemplify the ideals of justice, actively champion the goals of California’s judicial branch, and, through their dedication to fair and equal access to justice, continue to advance the judicial branch’s strategic goals for the betterment of California’s court system:

• 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
• Adequate, Stable, and Predictable Funding for a Fully Functioning Branch

Although the foundational obligations of our court system remain constant, the public service contributions made by individuals have continued to broaden and diversify in scope over the years.

The Judicial Council looks forward to receiving your nominations for the 2025 Distinguished Service Award.

How to Nominate

Please complete and submit a nomination form by Friday, July 25, 2025. Note: Current Judicial Council members are ineligible to receive a Distinguished Service Award.

For a list of past recipients, visit Distinguished Service Award recipients 1993–2024.

For questions related to Distinguished Service Award nominations, please contact Alexandria Torres at alexandria.torres@jud.ca.gov.  

For a list of past recipients, visit Distinguished Service Award recipients 1993–2024. The annual nomination cycle typically begins between May and June.

Aranda Award

Nominations for the 2025 Aranda Award are now open. Co-sponsored by the Judicial Council, the California Lawyers Association, the California Judges Association, and the Commission on Access to Justice, the Aranda Access to Justice Award honors a judge who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to improving access to our courts, and who has significantly improved access for low- and moderate-income Californians. Please complete and submit a nomination form by Friday, July 18, 2025.

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