From an interview with Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye

I just came across this late January interview by the Sacramento Bee's editorial board with Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye.  An excerpt:

Gary Reed: What are the most interesting cases before the Supreme Court?

Cantil-Sakauye: One of our most interesting cases was the Garcia bar admission case (authorizing Sergio Garcia to practice law though he had come to California as a child without documentation), because of the interplay of state and federal law. I’m finding class-action cases interesting, and wage and hour cases.

Miller v. Alabama (in which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down mandatory life imprisonment without parole sentences for juvenile offenders.) We’re seeing broad cases at the California Supreme Court in reaction to U.S. Supreme cases. I wish I had all the time in the world to focus on those issues.

Dan Morain: Which justices do you most admire?

Cantil-Sakauye: I feel privileged to work with the group I’m in. I respect their history and how they look at law and tradition. I feel privileged because I don’t know how long it will last.

I like working with Goodwin Liu. He didn’t come from a trial court. He didn’t come from an appellate court. He came from academia. He will say, ‘Why are you doing this?’ He challenges us. This group is the mix of the old and the new.

This interview was before Justice Kennard announced her retirement, or I am sure the Chief would have been asked about her legacy.