California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has just nominated Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye to be the next chief justice of the California Supreme Court. Cantil-Sakauye, 50, is the first Asian American to be nominated for the position, and if elected, will also give the California Supreme Court a female majority for the first time.
According to the LA Times, Cantil-Sakauye, a graduate of UC Davis School of Law, has previously served at the Sacramento County Superior Court and the Sacramento Court of Appeal.
“She is a living example of the American dream and when she is confirmed by the voters in November, Judge Cantil-Sakauye will become California’s first Filipina chief justice, adding to our high court’s already rich diversity,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement.
If Cantil-Sakauye’s nomination is affirmed by a three-member panel, then the public will have the opportunity to vote her in in November.