Elena J. Duarte
Encyclopedia
Elena J. Duarte is an Associate Justice
of the California Third District Court of Appeal, having served since December 10, 2010, after being appointed to the post by Republican
Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger
on November 23, 2010.
, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1989. She went on to earn a Juris Doctor
degree from Stanford Law School
in 1992.
Honor Program at the federal Department of Justice
. During that time, she was a Special Assistant United States Attorney
, prosecuting criminal trials at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
.
In 1994, Duarte became an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California in Sacramento
. In 2000, she transferred to the Central District of California, working in the Los Angeles
office. In September 2005, the Daily Journal
named her one of California's Top 75 female litigators.
appointed Duarte as a Judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court
on March 16, 2007, where she served from April 2007 to June 2008, while she was a resident of Valencia. Fourteen months later on May 16, 2008, he appointed her as a Judge of the Sacramento County Superior Court
, where she served from June 2008 to December 2010. On November 23, 2010, he appointed her as an Associate Justice
of the California Third District Court of Appeal while she was a resident of El Dorado Hills
. She was confirmed to the appellate court on December 10, 2010.
and has previously taught at Stanford Law School
, San Francisco Law School
, and Santa Clara University School of Law
in the San Francisco Bay Area
; and at USC Gould School of Law, Loyola Law School
, and Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.
Associate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
of the California Third District Court of Appeal, having served since December 10, 2010, after being appointed to the post by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Governor
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
on November 23, 2010.
Education
A native Californian, Duarte attended the University of the Pacific for two years from 1984 to 1986 but transferred to the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1989. She went on to earn a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School is a graduate school at Stanford University located in the area known as the Silicon Valley, near Palo Alto, California in the United States. The Law School was established in 1893 when former President Benjamin Harrison joined the faculty as the first professor of law...
in 1992.
Federal prosecutor
Upon graduating from Stanford, Duarte entered the U.S. Attorney General'sUnited States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
Honor Program at the federal Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
. During that time, she was a Special Assistant United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
, prosecuting criminal trials at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Superior Court of the District of Columbia
The Superior Court of the District of Columbia is the local trial court for the District of Columbia. It hears cases involving criminal and civil law. The court also handles specialized cases in the following areas: family court, landlord and tenant, probate, tax, and traffic offenses...
.
In 1994, Duarte became an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California in Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
. In 2000, she transferred to the Central District of California, working in the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
office. In September 2005, the Daily Journal
The Daily Journal Corporation
The Daily Journal Corporation publishes legal and business newspapers, a monthly magazine and legal information.The Daily Journal Corporation's largest publications are the Los Angeles | San Francisco Daily Journal and California Lawyer. The Daily Journal provides news of interest to California...
named her one of California's Top 75 female litigators.
Judicial career
Governor Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
appointed Duarte as a Judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court
Superior Court of Los Angeles County
The Superior Court of Los Angeles County is the Superior Court located in Los Angeles County. It is the largest single unified trial court in the United States....
on March 16, 2007, where she served from April 2007 to June 2008, while she was a resident of Valencia. Fourteen months later on May 16, 2008, he appointed her as a Judge of the Sacramento County Superior Court
Sacramento County Superior Court
The Sacramento County Superior Court is the California Superior Court located in Sacramento with jurisdiction over Sacramento County.-Gordon D. Schaber courthouse:The Gordon D. Schaber downtown courthouse is the main courthouse of the court...
, where she served from June 2008 to December 2010. On November 23, 2010, he appointed her as an Associate Justice
Associate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
of the California Third District Court of Appeal while she was a resident of El Dorado Hills
El Dorado Hills, California
El Dorado Hills is an unincorporated census-designated place located in El Dorado County, California, east of the state capital of Sacramento. The population was 42,108 at the 2010 census, up from 18,016 at the 2000 census...
. She was confirmed to the appellate court on December 10, 2010.
Adjunct professor
Duarte is an adjunct professor at Sacramento's McGeorge School of LawMcGeorge School of Law
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law is a private, ABA approved law school in the Oak Park neighborhood of the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the University of the Pacific....
and has previously taught at Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School is a graduate school at Stanford University located in the area known as the Silicon Valley, near Palo Alto, California in the United States. The Law School was established in 1893 when former President Benjamin Harrison joined the faculty as the first professor of law...
, San Francisco Law School
San Francisco Law School
San Francisco Law School is a private, non-profit law school in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1909, the law school became non-profit in 1941 and moved to its present location in 1968...
, and Santa Clara University School of Law
Santa Clara University School of Law
The Santa Clara University School of Law is the law school of Santa Clara University, a Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California, in the Silicon Valley region. The School of Law was founded in 1911...
in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
; and at USC Gould School of Law, Loyola Law School
Loyola Law School
Loyola Law School is the law school of Loyola Marymount University, a private Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions, in Los Angeles, California. Loyola was established in 1920. Like Loyola University Chicago School of Law and Loyola University New Orleans College of Law , it...
, and Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.