A Los Angeles-area native who has been serving as a deputy assistant attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., was nominated by Gov. Jerry Brown Monday to serve on the California Supreme Court.
Leondra R. Kruger, 38, has been with the Department of Justice since 2007 and has argued at least a dozen cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, according to the governor’s office.
Kruger “is a distinguished lawyer and uncommon student of the law,” Brown said. “She has won the respect of eminent jurists, scholars and practitioners alike.”
If confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, Kruger would replace Associate Justice Joyce L. Kennard, who retired earlier this year.
Kruger, who was raised in Pasadena, earned her law degree from Yale Law School, where she was editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Harvard University.
In addition to her work in private practice, she previously served as a law clerk to U.S. Court of Appeals Judge David S. Tatel and to U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.
“Leondra is an extraordinarily talented attorney who has been a leader within the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel and Office of the Solicitor General,” Attorney General Eric Holder said. “Her remarkable judgment, tireless work ethic and dedication to the highest ideals of public service have marked her as one of the foremost leaders in her profession.”
— City News Service