The nation’s only course for lawyers who aspire
to become judges
The Judicial Academy helps lawyers who are interested in becoming judges learn about the profession and improve their chances of appointment or election to the bench.
As of early 2025, 36 alumni of the first Judicial Academy classes had made it to the bench. See below for the full list.
“I absolutely loved the Judicial Academy, and I highly recommend that anyone aspiring to a judicial career invest in this course,” said Presiding Judge Lorrie Sinclair Taylor of the 20th Judicial District Court in Loudoun County, Virginia. She became the first African-American judge in the history of Loudoun County.
Participants in the weeklong course learn from veteran judges about a judge’s responsibilities, including:
Interpreting the law
Assessing evidence
Controlling hearings and trials
Deciding impartially
Sentencing criminal defendants
Terminating parental rights
The instructors also include professionals in charge of judicial selection and experts on judicial election campaigns.
Judicial Academy alumni on the bench
Judge Olga Álvarez ’19, Superior Court of San Diego County, California
Associate Justice José Scher Castillo ’19, California Court of Appeal
Judge Jaime Hawk ’19, Superior Court of King County, Washington
Magistrate Craig Moore ’19, Travis County (Texas) Criminal District Court
Judge Marie Avery Moses ’19, 2nd Judicial District Court of Denver, Colorado
Judge Patrice “Patti” W. Oppenheim ’19, 22nd Judicial District Court for St. Tammany and Washington Parishes, Louisiana
Judge Rania Rampersad ’19, Northeast District Court, King County, Washington
Associate Judge Jeffrey L. Phillips ’19, Nez Perce Tribe, Nez Perce County, Idaho
Judge Lorrie Sinclair Taylor ’19, General District Court, Loudoun County, Virginia
Judge Thanh H. Tran ’19, Circuit Court of Clackamas County, Oregon
Judge Tsering D. Cornell ’21, Superior Court of Clark County, Washington
Judge Christine J. Gonong ’21, Superior Court of Los Angeles, California
Judge Amyra Cobb-Hampton ’21, Superior Court of Solano County, California
Judge Andrew Luxen ’21, 2nd Judicial District Court of Denver, Colorado
Judge Josh Patrick ’21, U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
Judge Chris Sease ’21, District Court, Rowan County, North Carolina
Judge Catherine Taylor ’21, Los Alamos County Magistrate Court, New Mexico
Judge Sherry Thompson-Taylor ’21, Superior Court of San Diego County, California
Chief Judge Natasha K. Anderson ’22, Nez Perce Tribal Court, Idaho
Judge B. Ashley Andrews ’22, North Carolina, District Court, 27th Judicial District
Judge Latrice A.G. Byrdsong ’22, Superior Court of Los Angeles, California
Judge Travis Fliehman ’22, Darke County Court of Common Pleas, Ohio
Judge Robert Lara ’22, Division 2, 3rd Judicial District Court of New Mexico
Judge Elizabeth R. Martinez ’22, 73rd District Court, Bexar County, Texas
Judge Danna W. Nicholas ’22, Superior Court of San Diego County, California
