LaDoris Cordell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
LaDoris Cordell
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| Judge of the Superior Court, Santa Clara County, San Jose, California | |
| In office June 1988 – February 2001 |
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| Judge of the Municipal Court, Santa Clara County, San Jose, California | |
| In office April 1982 – June 1988 |
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| Appointed by | Jerry Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
LaDoris Louise Hazzard
November 19, 1949 Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Education | Antioch College (BA) Stanford University (JD) |
LaDoris Hazzard Cordell (born November 19, 1949) is a respected American retired judge. She served in the Superior Court of California. She also worked as an Independent Police Auditor for the city of San Jose, California.
Before becoming a judge, LaDoris Cordell worked at Stanford Law School. As Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, she created a program that greatly increased the number of African American and Latino students. This helped Stanford Law School become a leader in enrolling students of color.
Judge Cordell made history as the first female African American judge in Northern California. She was also the first African American Superior Court judge in Santa Clara County, California. For many years, she taught other judges about proper conduct and ethics.
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Education and Early Career
LaDoris Cordell earned her first degree, a BA, from Antioch College in 1971. She then went on to get her law degree, a JD, from Stanford Law School in 1974.
In 1975, she was the first person in the Western United States to be an Earl Warren Intern. This was at the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. From 1976 to 1982, she worked as a private lawyer in East Palo Alto. She helped people with various legal issues.
Becoming a Judge
In 1982, California Governor Jerry Brown appointed LaDoris Cordell as a municipal court judge. This was for Santa Clara County. She served as the main judge for that court from 1985 to 1986.
In 1988, she was elected to become a superior court judge for Santa Clara County. Here, she oversaw different types of cases. She was the supervising judge for probate court (dealing with wills and estates) from 1994 to 1995. She also led the family court from 1990 to 1992. In 1993, she was the presiding judge for the superior court's appeals department.
Community and Art Contributions
In 1990, Judge Cordell started the African American Donor Task Force. Its goal was to encourage more Black people to join the national bone marrow registry. This helps patients find life-saving matches.
LaDoris Cordell is also an artist. In 1996, she held her first art exhibition. All the money raised went to help women and children experiencing difficult situations. Later, she created calendars featuring her legal cartoons. Sales from these calendars helped a non-profit group called Legal Advocates for Children & Youth (LACY). This group provides legal help to young people in Santa Clara County. In 2002, another art show and cartoon calendar sale raised over $13,000 for a community art project.
Later Roles and Advocacy
From 2001 to 2009, Judge Cordell worked at Stanford University. She was the vice provost and special counselor for campus relations. In 2004, she was elected to the Palo Alto City Council. She served there until 2008. From 2010 to 2015, she worked as the Independent Police Auditor for San Jose, California. In this role, she reviewed police actions.
In 2014, Judge Cordell co-founded the African American Composer Initiative (AACI). This group works to share the music of Black composers through concerts and online recordings.
In 2015, she was part of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Transparency, Accountability, and Fairness in Law Enforcement. This panel advised the District Attorney of San Francisco, George Gascón. The panel looked into issues within the police department. Their report had many findings and recommendations.
Also in 2015, Judge Cordell chaired the Blue Ribbon Commission on Improving Custody Operations. This commission was formed to review jail conditions in San Jose. The commission made 120 recommendations to protect the rights of people in custody. These recommendations were accepted by the county.
In 2018, Judge Cordell led efforts against a campaign to remove a fellow judge, Aaron Persky. In 2020, she audited the Public Safety Services Department at Santa Clara University. She made 22 recommendations to improve their services.
Also in 2020, she joined the San Francisco District Attorney’s Innocence Commission. This group of experts volunteers to review cases where people believe they were wrongly convicted.
Judge Cordell was also a plaintiff in a successful lawsuit against the city of Palo Alto. This lawsuit, supported by the ACLU, helped open Foothills Park to non-residents. Before this, only Palo Alto residents could visit the park.
In 2021, she published her book, Her Honor: My Life on the Bench...What Works, What's Broken, and How to Change It. In her book, she shares her experiences and ideas for improving the legal system.
In 2022, Judge Cordell was featured in a short film called The Recall: Reframed. In 2024, she led an investigation into complaints against the San Mateo County Sheriff's office. Her detailed report led to significant changes in the office.
Judge Cordell often shares her legal insights on news channels like CNN, MSNBC, and NPR. She has been quoted in major newspapers like the New York Times. She also appeared as a judge on a TV show called You the Jury on FOX.
Awards and Honors
LaDoris Cordell has received many awards and honors for her work. Some of these include:
- the Chief Justice Earl Warren Civil Liberties Award from the ACLU of Northern California.
- the Crystal Gavel Award from the California Association of Black Lawyers’ Judicial Section.
- induction into Stanford University’s Multicultural Hall of Fame.
- the Silicon Valley Black Legends Hall of Fame, (Law & Justice Award).
