Stockton, CA — The Judges of the Superior Court of California, County of San Joaquin are
pleased to announce the appointment of Esmeralda Zendejas to the position of Superior Court
Judge. Ms. Zendejas was appointed to the bench on February 17, 2023, by Governor
Newsom to fill a new position created on July 1, 2022.
Ms. Zendejas has served as an Attorney at the Department of Industrial Relations since 2022.
She served as a Deputy Attorney General at the California Attorney General’s Office from
2020 to 2022. She was Agricultural Worker Program Director at California Rural Legal
Assistance Inc. in 2020 and held several positions there from 2006 to 2020, including Staff
Attorney and Agricultural Worker Program Regional Director.
Ms. Zendejas is an active member of the legal committee. She has been a member of the
Executive Committee for the Labor and Employment Law Section of the California Lawyers
Association since 2019 and a member of the Cruz Reynoso Bar Association since 2021. At
the local level, she has been a Mock Trial volunteer since 2019 and served in a number or
roles with the San Joaquin County Bar Association, including on the Executive Committee of
the Women’s Lawyers Section and a First Impressions volunteer.
Ms. Zendejas was admitted to the California State Bar in December 2008. She earned a Juris
Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Political Science and Spanish from University of California, Davis.
“I am privileged to have been appointed to serve on the bench in the County of San Joaquin
and, as a native of Stockton, I commit to help carry forward justice on behalf of all members
of this community,” said Ms. Zendejas.
A state Judicial Needs Assessment has found that the San Joaquin Superior Court is in need
of additional judgeships. The appointment of Ms. Zendejas will greatly assist the Court’s goal
in continuing to provide access to justice for court litigants.
Ms. Zendejas’s formal and public swearing in ceremony has yet to be scheduled.
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