Holzer Hersher Endowment for the Study of Judicial Philosophy and Jurisprudence in the Modern Judiciary

Judy Holzer Hersher ’84, a retired Sacramento Superior Court judge, established this endowment at UC Davis School of Law for the Study of Judicial Philosophy and Jurisprudence in the Modern Judiciary.

The endowment will support a lecture and dialogue series that brings leading judges, scholars and practitioners to King Hall to explore the interpretive philosophies, life experiences and judicial perspectives that shape legal decision-making today. The goal is to foster a deeper understanding of the judiciary’s role in a modern democratic society and create meaningful opportunities for students and the broader legal community to engage with the ideas that influence how courts and judges at all levels interpret the law.

Judge Hersher currently serves as a mediator, arbitrator and special master with Judicate West. She presided over jury and court trials on the Sacramento County Superior Court bench from 2001-2021 and helped write the California Civil Jury Instructions used throughout the state. Before becoming a judge, she was a litigation partner with Downey Brand LLP and a journalist.