Judge Samantha P. Jessner, Los Angeles Superior Court presiding judge, was awarded the American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section’s Liberty Achievement Award on May 1 at the section conference in Hollywood, California.
The award celebrates lawyers and judges who have spent their career actively promoting diversity and inclusion within the legal profession.
Jessner has been a co-chair of the court’s Technology Committee and is at the forefront of its technology innovation initiatives. She is a recipient of the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center’s 2021 Women of Legal Tech.
In addition, Jessner has held various positions on court committees, including as chair of the Civil and Small Claims Committee and vice chair of the Ethics Committee. She also serves as a new judge orientation instructor for the California Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER) and instructs CJER’s ethics curriculum.
Before assuming her position on the court, Jessner served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California (Los Angeles) for 11 years. She began her legal career as a litigation associate at Sheppard Mullin and was previously in-house counsel at Boeing and assistant inspector general for the Los Angeles Police Commission.
Jessner is a founding member of the Association of African American California Judicial Officers, a member of the National Association of Women Judges and a member of the Trusteeship, the Southern California chapter of the International Women’s Forum. She received her J.D. from the University of California Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University.
“Judge Jessner has advanced the field of law immeasurably through her commitment to thoughtfully exploring and tirelessly championing initiatives relating to both ethics and technology,” said Laura Safdie, vice president for AI GTM and global affairs lead for the legal segment for Thomson Reuters, which sponsored the award. “These issues profoundly affect diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, and we’re grateful to be able to participate in honoring her steadfast work to ensure we all continue to hold ourselves and our profession to the highest possible standards.”
The ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section unites plaintiff, defense, insurance and corporate counsel to advance the civil justice system. TIPS is a national source of expertise in tort, trial and insurance practice and brings lawyers together to share information and speak out on issues of importance. The section has over 10,000 members and more than 30 general committees that focus on substantive and procedural matters in areas across the broad spectrum of civil law and practice. For additional information about the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, visit the TIPS website, www.americanbar.org/tips.
The award celebrates lawyers and judges who have spent their career actively promoting diversity and inclusion within the legal profession.
Jessner has been a co-chair of the court’s Technology Committee and is at the forefront of its technology innovation initiatives. She is a recipient of the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center’s 2021 Women of Legal Tech.
In addition, Jessner has held various positions on court committees, including as chair of the Civil and Small Claims Committee and vice chair of the Ethics Committee. She also serves as a new judge orientation instructor for the California Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER) and instructs CJER’s ethics curriculum.
Before assuming her position on the court, Jessner served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California (Los Angeles) for 11 years. She began her legal career as a litigation associate at Sheppard Mullin and was previously in-house counsel at Boeing and assistant inspector general for the Los Angeles Police Commission.
Jessner is a founding member of the Association of African American California Judicial Officers, a member of the National Association of Women Judges and a member of the Trusteeship, the Southern California chapter of the International Women’s Forum. She received her J.D. from the University of California Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University.
“Judge Jessner has advanced the field of law immeasurably through her commitment to thoughtfully exploring and tirelessly championing initiatives relating to both ethics and technology,” said Laura Safdie, vice president for AI GTM and global affairs lead for the legal segment for Thomson Reuters, which sponsored the award. “These issues profoundly affect diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, and we’re grateful to be able to participate in honoring her steadfast work to ensure we all continue to hold ourselves and our profession to the highest possible standards.”
The ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section unites plaintiff, defense, insurance and corporate counsel to advance the civil justice system. TIPS is a national source of expertise in tort, trial and insurance practice and brings lawyers together to share information and speak out on issues of importance. The section has over 10,000 members and more than 30 general committees that focus on substantive and procedural matters in areas across the broad spectrum of civil law and practice. For additional information about the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, visit the TIPS website, www.americanbar.org/tips.
