The second and third women to serve as California’s Chief Justice honored the first on Monday.
Current Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero and former Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye spoke at the dedication of the legislatively inspired Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird Justice For All Plaza in Sacramento. (Video of the event here.)
Speaking at what she called a “long overdue” celebration, Guerrero praised Bird as a “trailblazer” and said it was a “deep honor . . . to pay tribute to her for the path that she paved for so many others who hope to pursue leadership positions in the legal profession, both attorneys and judges.” The Chief Justice highlighted Bird’s “character, strength, and courage and her dedication to protecting the rights of all individuals under the law.”
Cantil-Sakauye characterized Bird as “a woman out of time; a leader out of time” who “had it terrifically hard as the first.” She said, “Those of us who come behind Chief Justice Rose Bird know that we stand on her shoulders and that she served as a reminder of the need to be true to the rule of law and not to public opinion.”
Related:
TV news reports of the event here and here.
Bill would honor former Chief Justice Rose Bird
“It’s time to honor a pioneering California woman badly mistreated in her day”