Judges and Judiciary
Jun. 18, 2018
Attaining equal justice
The story of how California ended the practice of non-lawyer judges
Michael L. Stern
Judge (ret.)
Harvard Law, Boalt Hall
Judge Stern worked at the CRLA Santa Maria office from 1972 to 1975. He is chair of the Los Angeles County Superior Court Historical Committee.
In his recent article discussing qualifications to serve as a judicial officer in California, Justice Arthur Gilbert made reference to the California Supreme Court's decision in Gordon v. Justice Court, 12 Cal. 3d 323 (1974), a landmark case that abolished the practice of non-lawyers serving as judges in California.
A legal system based on non-lawyer justices of the peace presiding over the lowest tier of ...
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