For reprint rights or to purchase a copy of your Daily Journal photo, email Jeremy_Ellis@dailyjournal.com for prices or call 213-229-5424.

To buy more copies, call 866-531-1492 or email subscribe@dailyjournal.com
This is the property of the Daily Journal Corporation and fully protected by copyright. It is made available only to Daily Journal subscribers for personal or collaborative purposes and may not be distributed, reproduced, modified, stored or transferred without written permission. Please click "Reprint" to order presentation-ready copies to distribute to clients or use in commercial marketing materials or for permission to post on a website. and copyright (showing year of publication) at the bottom.
Subscribe to the Daily Journal for access to Daily Appellate Reports, Verdicts, Judicial Profiles and more...

Nov. 18, 2025

Judge Jaya Badiga's nontraditional path shapes approach to complex family law

Sacramento County Judge Jaya Badiga's non-traditional path through domestic-violence work, family law practice, and public service shapes her approach on the bench, where attorneys praise her demeanor, expertise and commitment to fair, trauma-informed judging.

Read more about Jaya Badiga...
Judge Jaya Badiga's nontraditional path shapes approach to complex family law

Jaya Badiga

Sacramento County Superior Court

Career Highlights: Appointed Sacramento Superior Court judge by Gov. Gavin Newsom, May 3, 2024; commissioner, Sacramento County, 2022-24; sole practitioner, 2018- 22; attorney, California Department of Health Care Services, 2020; attorney, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, 2018; managing attorney, WEAVE Inc., 2013-18; attorney adviser, Galaxy Architects & Infrastructure, 2010-13; staff counsel, California Employment Development Department, 2009-10.

Law School: Santa Clara University School of Law, 2008
See more...

Sacramento County Judge Jaya Badiga did not arrive on the bench by the typical route.

"My legal background is non-traditional," Badiga said. "I went to law school later in life."

That path included a first career in advertising and public health messaging, frontline domestic-violence work, and time as a family-law specialist running her own practice. Those detours may be precisely what equips her for one of the courts' most contentious ... (continued)

To continue reading, please subscribe.
For only $95 a month (the price of 2 article purchases)
Receive unlimited article access and full access to our archives,
Daily Appellate Report, award winning columns, and our
Verdicts and Settlements.
Or
$795 for an entire year!

Or access this Judicial Profile for $85
(Purchase provides 7-day access to this Judicial Profile. Printing, posting or downloading is not allowed.)

Already a subscriber?

Enewsletter Sign-up

By using our website, you agree to our use of cookies in accordance with our cookie policy. You can learn more about how we use cookies by reviewing our Privacy Policy here.