Esmeralda Zendejas Appointed to San Joaquin County Superior Court Bench

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 community. 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 of roles with the San Joaquin County Bar Association, including on the Executive Committee of the Women’s Lawyers Section and as 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 the University of California, Davis.

Ms. Zendejas said, “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.”

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 of continuing to provide access to justice for court litigants.

Ms. Zendejas’s formal and public swearing-in ceremony has yet to be scheduled.

Esmeralda Zendejas Appointed to San Joaquin County Superior Court Bench (PDF)