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Beth J. Jay brings more than 35 years of experience at the California Supreme Court to her role providing analysis and strategy in complex appellate matters, particularly petitions for review to California’s high court.
After working for two associate justices as a research attorney, she served as Principal Attorney to three California Chief Justices, during the full terms of Chief Justices Malcolm M. Lucas and Ronald M. George, and from the beginning of Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye’s term in January 2011 until Beth fully retired from the court in 2015. Beth participated in the decision-making work of the court, drafting memoranda and opinions in cases in which review had been granted, consulting with and editing the work of other attorneys, and analyzing petitions seeking the court’s review.
Beth led and participated in numerous Supreme Court, Judicial Council, and State Bar Committees focusing on diverse issues including multi-jurisdictional practice, insurance legislation, judicial and attorney ethics, and court procedures. She also consulted with judicial system, executive branch, and legislative personnel on various legislative initiatives.
Since joining the firm in 2019, Beth has focused on analyzing and providing strategy for petitions for review to the California Supreme Court, and on structuring and editing briefs and motions at all appellate levels. She also serves on panels for moot courts for attorneys from Horvitz & Levy and other firms. Her in-depth experience with cases before the appellate courts has provided her with effective tools for assisting counsel in preparing for oral argument as well as in developing compelling and thorough briefing.
Beth has served as president of one of the oldest Inns of Courts in California and was selected by the District Court for the Northern District of California to serve as an attorney delegate to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. She received the State Bar’s highest honor, the Witkin Medal, awarded to an attorney “who has helped shape the legal landscape through an extraordinary body of work,” as well as OneJustice’s Access to Justice Award.
Credentials
Education
- Stanford University Law School
J.D., 1972 - Vassar College
B.A., 1969
Clerkships
- Central Staff, U.S. Court of Appeals, for the Ninth Circuit (1977-1980)
- Research Attorney to Associate Justice Frank Richardson (1980-1984)
- Research Attorney to Associate Justice Malcolm M. Lucas (1984-1987)
- Principal Attorney to three Chief Justices (1987-2015)
Bar Admissions
- California
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Professional Associations
- Edward J. McFetridge American Inn of Court, Board Member, Former President
- Bar Association of San Francisco
- Alameda County Bar Association
- Vital Arts, Board Member-Secretary
Activities Concerning the Administration of Justice
- 2007-2015
Speaker at State Bar Court Judges annual retreat. - 2005- 2015
Ongoing meetings with the capital case defendant organizations, including CAP, HCRC, and the SPD. Meetings focus on improving procedures, attracting counsel, and potential rule changes. The Attorney General’s office also participated at times. - 2000-2015
Member, Supreme Court standing Advisory Committee on the Code of Judicial Ethics, 2000-2015. - 2011-2012
Advisory Board, OneJustice, development of statewide Hearings on the Administration of Justice. - 2010-2011
Ex officio member, State Bar Governance Task Force. - 2008-2009
Member, Supreme Court Implementation Committee for the Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions. - 2006-2008
Participant and presenter in meetings with Chief Judge Mary Schroeder, Judge Arthur Alarcon, Chief Justice Ronald George, and other state and federal judges concerning habeas corpus issues; addressed the State-Federal Judicial Council on habeas corpus proceedings in California courts. - 2005-2008
Member, State Bar Committee on Insurance Disclosure. - 2005-2006
Member, Supreme Court Committee on the Publication of Court of Appeal Opinions chaired by Justice Kathryn Werdegar. - 2002-2005
Member, Judicial Council Advisory Committee on Ethics Issues and the Presiding Judge’s Role. - 2003
Judge, Roger J. Traynor California Moot Court Competition, sponsored by the Witkin Legal Institute. - 2002-2003
Member, State Bar Committee on accreditation of online law schools. - 2001 & 2003
Participant in meetings convened by Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Mary Schroeder and U.S. District Court Judge Judith Keep, Central District, California, concerning habeas corpus coordination in capital cases. - 2002
Member, Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Regulation of Lawyer Discipline. - 2002
Participated on panels on Multijurisdictional Practice; at the ABA Center for Professionalism Annual Meeting, Vancouver, Canada. - 2000-2001
Member, Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Multijurisdictional Practice. - 2001-2002
Member, Supreme Court Multijurisdictional Practice Implementation Committee, convened to develop rules to implement the recommendations of the committee adopted by the Supreme Court. - 1999-2001
Member, Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Multijurisdictional Practice. - 1999-2001
Liaison with California Court of Appeal Justice Elwood Lui, who was appointed by the Supreme Court to serve as special master to supervise the collection and distribution of fees for the operation of the attorney discipline system pursuant to the court’s decision in In re Attorney Discipline System (1998) 19 Cal.4th 582. - 2001
Invited participant, Conference of Chief Justices and ABA Center for Professional Responsibility Conference on Professionalism and Multijurisdictional Practice. - 2000-2015
Member, Supreme Court standing Advisory Committee on the Code of Judicial Ethics. - 2000
Invited participant, ABA and Fordham University Law School-sponsored Symposium on the Multijurisdictional Practice of Law. - 2000
Member, Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Disability. - 2000
Member, Supreme Court Committee on Canon 3E (Judicial Disqualification.) - 1997
Panelist, Center for Judicial Education and Research Attorney Institute: “Communicating with the Legislative Branch;” Panelist, California Judicial Administration Institute discussing changes in procedures for certification of the record in death penalty appeals; Panelist, California Judicial Administration Institute discussing AB 195 requirements and rules (changes in procedures for certification of the record in death penalty appeals.) - 1994-1996
Member, Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Adoption of the Code of Judicial Ethics. - 1995
Led an internal committee to develop procedures and rules to address the constitutional revisions to the role of the Commission on Judicial Performance effective 1995. - 1995
Participant, ABA Litigation Section’s “The Woman Advocate ’95” Conference, San Francisco. Panelist on Appellate practice. Lecturer, State Bar Office of General Counsel. - 1995
Lecturer, State Bar Association Convention. - 1993
Developed a statewide conference on sexual harassment training for the appellate courts. - 1991-1993
Contributor: Commission on the Future of the California Courts, culminating in the report “Justice in the Balance: 2020” issued in 1993. - 1982-1984
Reader, State Bar Examination. - 1978 – 1979
Lecturer, advanced legal research and writing, John F. Kennedy University Law School. - Additional Activities
During her tenure on the staff of the California Supreme Court, Beth met with groups that handle or assist appointed counsel in death penalty appeals and habeas corpus proceedings, the California Attorney General’s office, the California Appellate Project, the Office of State Public Defender, and the Habeas Corpus Resource Center. These meetings resulted in rule changes, the development of new educational opportunities, and other efforts to attract more counsel to accept appointment in these matters. She held regular meetings with the staff of the State Bar and of the State Bar court to discuss improvements in procedure and processing. She regularly attended the Chief Justice’s meetings with the administrative presiding Justices of the Courts of Appeal. She confirmed with legislative and legislative staff on issues concerning the courts, particularly the Courts of Appeal and Supreme Court.
Awards
- ALM Corporate Counsel Women, Influence & Power in Law, Life Lifetime Achievement Award (2024)
- CLAY award (California Lawyer Attorney of the Year) by Daily Journal (2024)
- Top Verdicts by Daily Journal (2023)
- CLAY award (California Lawyer Attorney of the Year) by Daily Journal (2023)
- Top Verdicts by Daily Journal (2022)
- Bernard E. Witkin Medal, the State Bar’s highest honor, for her lifetime body of work
- Daily Journal’s 100 Most Influential Lawyers in California
- Access to Justice Award