Mexican-Born Law Professor Nominated To The California Supreme Court

Fox News Latino

PHOENIX — Here’s yet another proof that Latinos are continuing to break barriers in the state of California, continuing the trend to diversity one of the most influential courts in the country.

According to Fox News Latino, Governor Jerry Brown has nominated a Mexican-born Stanford law professor on Tuesday to the California Supreme Court. 

Brown nominated Mariano-Florentino Cuellar, 41, to be an associate justice of the state’s highest court. If approved, the registered Democrat would fill a vacancy created by the retirement in January of conservative Justice Marvin Baxter.

This is Brown’s second nomination since returning to the governor’s office.

n 2011, he filled a vacancy by appointing University of California, Berkeley, law professor Goodwin Liu to the California Supreme Court after Senate Republicans blocked his nomination to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Democratic governor will have a third opening to fill on the seven-member court when Justice Joyce Kennard retires in April, and he will have more opportunities if he is re-elected to another four-year term in November. That could bring an end to a moderate Republican court dominated by appointees of governors George Deukmejian and Pete Wilson.