Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced Joshua Groban as his choice for associate justice of the California Supreme Court.
Joshua Groban, 45, of Los Angeles, has served as a senior advisor to Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. since 2011.
“Josh Groban has vast knowledge of the law and sound and practical judgement,” said Governor Brown. “He’ll be a strong addition to California’s highest court.”
“Serving the people of California over the past 8 years has been the privilege of a lifetime,” said Groban. “I am truly humbled by this nomination and, if confirmed, I look forward to working alongside the highest court’s truly exemplary jurists.”
As senior advisor, Groban has overseen the appointment of approximately 600 judges throughout the state since 2011. These appointments have been lauded as the most diverse in the state’s history.
“Governor Jerry Brown has done it again, made a supreme appointment to the California Supreme Court. Josh Groban, a lawyer of extraordinary ability and insight, will bring scholarship, practicality, and respect for the rule of law to his decisions,” said Presiding Justice Arthur Gilbert of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Six. “His appointment ensures that the California Supreme Court will continue to be the most respected state court in the nation. His appointment also reflects the diversity that makes our Supreme Court reflective of the society it serves. He will be the next Jewish justice after the late Justices Tobriner and Mosk.”
“I am delighted to learn of Governor Brown’s nomination of Joshua Groban as an associate justice of the California Supreme Court. Josh has served the Governor and the State of California well for 8 years seeking the best-qualified candidates for appointment to the bench,” said retired justice of the California Supreme Court, Justice Carlos R. Moreno. “He is a thoughtful and deliberative selection who will serve with distinction on our nation’s leading state supreme court. I’m also very pleased that the Governor has nominated someone with roots in Southern California who will add to the geographical balance on the Court.”
Groban has also advised the Governor in high-profile litigation and policy issues involving education, the judiciary, criminal justice, national security and constitutional interpretation.
Groban was legal counsel for the Jerry Brown for Governor Campaign in 2010. He was an attorney at Munger, Tolles and Olson LLP from 2005 to 2010 and at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison LLP from 1999 to 2005. Groban served as a law clerk for the Honorable William C. Conner at the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York from 1998 to 1999.
“Josh’s sharp legal mind, even temperament and extensive track record of public service will make him a wonderful addition to the California Supreme Court,” said Munger, Tolles and Olson LLP name partner Ronald L. Olson. “We are proud of what he has accomplished. I am confident he will further distinguish himself and the Court as a jurist.”
“I have known Josh Groban for almost 20 years. In that time, I have watched Josh become an outstanding lawyer and public servant. He will now be an outstanding member of the California Supreme Court. I congratulate Governor Brown on this fine appointment,” said Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison LLP partner and former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh C. Johnson.
Groban has been a lecturer in state appellate practice at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law since 2015. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School, where he graduated cum laude and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University, where he graduated with honors and distinction.
“Joshua Groban is a superb choice for the California Supreme Court. For the past five years, alongside his myriad other responsibilities, he has taught our State Appellate Practice course at UCLA School of Law,” said Dean, UCLA School of Law Jennifer L. Mnookin. “He has been an extremely effective and well-regarded instructor, providing our students with powerful insights into appellate writing, argument and advocacy. Those same talents will be put to superb use in his new role, and I am confident that he will be an exceptional addition to the Court.”
He will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Associate Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar. The Governor's nomination must be submitted to the State Bar's Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation and confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. The Commission on Judicial Appointments consists of Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Attorney General Xavier Becerra and senior Presiding Justice of the state Court of Appeal J. Anthony Kline.
The compensation for this position is $253,189. Groban is a Democrat.
