August 22, 2024

Horvitz & Levy is proud to announce that Beth Jay has been selected for ALM's Women, Power, and Influence in Law Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ms. Jay's recognition stems from her profound impact on the California legal system throughout her career. Her journey began upon graduating from Vassar College. Within three years of joining the California bar, Ms. Jay had argued her first case before the California Supreme Court in Leaming v. Municipal Court (1974) and tried civil rights cases in federal court while in private practice. After serving as a staff attorney for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, she began work at the California Supreme Court as a staff attorney for Associate Justice Frank Richardson. She then joined the staff of Justice Malcolm M. Lucas when he succeeded Justice Richardson, and upon Justice Lucas's elevation to Chief Justice, her role was expanded to incorporate issues affecting the administration of justice statewide. She continued serving as Principal Attorney to Chief Justices Ronald M. George and Tani Cantil-Sakueye until she retired from the court in 2015. 

Ms. Jay then joined the Horvitz & Levy team, where she uses her expertise to collaborate with other attorneys at the firm on the preparation of numerous petitions for review by the California Supreme Court, briefing following the grant of review, and briefs in the California Courts of Appeal and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She also participates in moot courts for state and federal appeals. Beth's experience directly translates into results for our clients. She played a crucial role in multiple granted petitions for reviews in the California Supreme Court that ultimately resulted in favorable outcomes for our clients, including in Make UC a Good Neighbor v. Regents of the University of California (2024), County of Santa Clara v. Superior Court (2023), Allied Premier Ins. v. United Financial Cas. Co. (2023), Boermeester v. Carry (2023) and Guardianship of Saul H. (2022). She was also appointed to a statewide Appellate Caseflow Working Group tasked with promoting transparency, accountability, and efficiency in appellate case management processes.  

In addition to ALM's WPIL lifetime achievement, Beth has received multiple other awards for her contributions to California law and jurisprudence. In 2010, Ms. Jay was awarded the Bernard E. Witkin Medal, the California Bar's highest award. The Daily Journal named Beth one of California's 100 Most Influential Lawyers five times between 1999 and 2006. Upon her retirement from the court, her contributions were recognized by the Supreme Court, the Judicial Council, and the State Assembly.