Public Counsel is thrilled to share that this morning, the U.S. Senate confirmed Mónica Ramírez Almadani, Public Counsel’s President & CEO and holder of the Helen & Morgan Chu Chief Executive Officer Distinguished Chair, to serve as a federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Mónica took the helm of Public Counsel over two years ago, and during her tenure, she has steered the organization through a series of groundbreaking initiatives, enhancing its mission to deliver comprehensive legal services and support community-led efforts to transform unjust systems. With this appointment, she will step down from Public Counsel to join the Court.
This confirmation is not only a significant milestone for Mónica but a historic one for this court, as she becomes the only current Latina judge and the third in the court’s history. Her presence on the bench will bring crucial representation to the nation’s most populous federal district, where nearly half of its 19 million people identify as Hispanic or Latino/a.
Under Mónica’s leadership, Public Counsel launched a visionary five-year strategic plan, established critical leadership positions to enhance strategic litigation and policy advocacy efforts, fostered a more collaborative approach to providing legal services, and secured numerous critical legal victories confronting some of the nation’s most complex civil rights issues. Further cementing the organization’s innovative legacy, Mónica promoted the integration of social work within legal practice, establishing the inaugural Director of Social Work to promote a trauma-informed, client-centric culture.
In addition, Mónica helped the organization emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing crucial safety enhancements that were instrumental in facilitating the safe reopening of Public Counsel’s headquarters. She also oversaw a period of extraordinary fundraising for Public Counsel, securing the largest single gift in the organization’s history. Read Public Counsel’s press release here.
Mónica is the second leader of Public Counsel to be confirmed as a federal judge. Earlier this year, Hernán Vera, Public Counsel’s President & CEO from 2008-2014, was also confirmed to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Immediately preceding Mónica’s tenure, Margaret Morrow, a distinguished federal judge in the same district, stepped down from the bench after nearly 18 years to preside over Public Counsel, bringing invaluable legal insight and leadership to the nonprofit law firm.
Please join us in congratulating Mónica on this amazing accomplishment! Her remarkable achievements and confirmation to the federal court add yet another chapter to Public Counsel’s proud legacy, and we know that she will be an outstanding member of the bench.
