On September 19, 2023, Administrative Presiding Justice Judith McConnell presented to the Judicial Council a 10-year retrospective on the work of the Power of Democracy Civic Learning Initiative. Justice MoConnell was appointed by Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero in February 2024 to continue leading the initiative for courts to adopt. Courts forming local Power of Democracy partnerships is a model recommended in the K-12 Task For Report. Santa Clara County Judge Julia Alloggiomento was appointed vice-chair. See
news release.
Background
Established by Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye in 2013 to further Californians’ understanding of their judicial branch. The Power of Democracy Civic Learning Initiative was adopted by current Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero and will continue to engage schools, and encourage students to learn about the courts, and the role of the judiciary through service learning and classroom based lessons.
The Steering Committee
The POD Steering Committee was founded on the recommendations of the Commission for Impartial Courts Final Report, Recommendations 37 and 43. The Committee was appointed to two-year terms by the Chief Justice, piloted programs and built partnerships before sunsetting in 2023. The initiative evolved out from committee oversight and into a robust, tested initiative for every court to adopt. .
Judicial Council Public Affairs staff support the initiative.
The Chief Justice serves as the honorary chair and appoints a chair of the steering committee and members of the steering committee represented as follows:
| Committee Chair |
Hon. Judith D. McConnell, Chair
Administrative Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District
|
| Justices of the Court of Appeal |
Hon. Stacy Boulware Eurie
Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District
Hon. Halim Dhanidina (Ret.)
|
|
Judicial Officers of the Superior Courts
|
Hon. Julia Alloggiamento
Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of Santa Clara
Hon. Carolyn M. Caietti
Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of San Diego
Hon. Kristen A. Lucena
Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Butte
|
| Judicial Officers of the Federal Courts |
Hon. Consuelo María “Connie” Callahan
Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
|
| Chief Justice's Representative |
Erin Rosenberg
Attorney, Staff to Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero |
|
County Superintendent of Schools
|
David W. Gordon
Superintendent of Schools
Sacramento County Office of Education
|
| Civic Education Leader |
Michelle M. Herczog
Coordinator, History-Social Science
Los Angeles County Office of Education
|
| California Lawyers Association Representative |
Jerrilyn Malana
Chief Deputy District Attorney, Human Resources
San Diego County District Attorney's Office
|
| Student Representative |
Ria Srivastava
Vista del Lago High School
Folsom Cordova Unified School District Student Member
|
The
Civic Learning Award for California public elementary, middle, and high schools, is co-sponsored by California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero and California State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Each year, the award spotlights successful efforts to engage students in civic learning and identifies models that can be replicated in other schools.
The California Task Force on K-12 Civic Learning was created to bring definition to the skills, knowledge, and dispositions our students need to be informed and engaged citizens and community members, including serving as jurors and court-users. The Task Force’s
final report is a blueprint for how we can achieve these outcomes for all students in California.
