Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero

Chief Justice Guerrero was nominated to office by Governor Gavin Newsom in August 2022, unanimously confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments the same month and overwhelmingly approved by voters in the November 2022 general election. The California State Bar Judicial Nominees Evaluation Commission rated Chief Justice Guerrero as exceptionally well qualified for the position prior to her public confirmation hearing.

As Chief Justice, she chairs the Commission on Judicial Appointments and the Judicial Council of California, the administrative policymaking body of the state courts. In her 2024 State of the Judiciary Address, Chief Justice Guerrero highlighted the importance of three-branch solutions to challenging issues, including the use of remote technology and climate change, her concern about partisan attacks on the judiciary, and the evolving issue of generative artificial intelligence.

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Chief Justice Guerrero also renewed her commitment to civic learning and engagement with the Judicial Branch Power of Democracy Civic Learning Initiative appointing Administrative Presiding Justice Judith McConnell to serve as the chair to the Initiative with Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Julia Alloggiamento appointed to serve as vice-chair. They will continue to oversee programs including the Civic Learning Awards and Judges in the Classroom, as well as assist with the development of new programs to foster improved civic learning opportunities for California's K-12 students.

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During her legal career, Chief Justice Guerrero has contributed many hours of volunteer work, including as a member of the Advisory Board of the Immigration Justice Project, which promotes due process and access to justice at all levels of the immigration and appellate court system. She has also assisted clients on a pro bono basis in immigration matters, including asylum applications and protecting vulnerable families by litigating compliance with fair housing laws. While a justice on the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Chief Justice Guerrero was chair of the State Bar’s Blue Ribbon Commission on the Future of the Bar Exam and chair of the Judicial Council of California’s Advisory Committee on Criminal Jury Instructions.

Chief Justice Guerrero is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and was born and raised in California’s Imperial Valley. She attended the University of California, Berkeley as an undergraduate and earned a Juris Doctor degree from Stanford Law School in 1997.