Presiding Judge Linda L. Lofthus announces the selection of Erin Guy Castillo and Jayne Chong-Soon Lee as the newest Court Commissioners of the San Joaquin Superior Court.
Ms. Castillo became partner of the law firm Parish Guy Castillo PC in 2014. She had been an associate attorney at the law office since 2009. She had also been an associate attorney at the law firm Dowling, Aaron, Inc. from 2007 to 2009. Ms. Castillo earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Francisco, School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Fullerton.
Ms. Lee has served the San Joaquin Superior Court as the Supervising Probate Attorney since 2015. Before joining the Court, Ms. Lee had worked for the Alameda County Superior Court as a Research Attorney since 2005. Prior to that, she worked as an adjunct professor for Golden Gate University School of Law and a Deputy City Attorney for the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. Ms. Lee earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University.
Judge Lofthus commented “Ms. Castillo and Ms. Lee will serve the Court and the community extremely well. I am happy that the judges voted unanimously to hire Ms. Castillo and Ms. Lee.”
Ms. Castillo and Ms. Lee fill vacancies on the San Joaquin Superior Court bench. One vacancy was created by the election and subsequent appointment by the Governor of Judge John R. Soldati. The second position has remained vacant since 2011 due to the State’s economy and budget reductions.
A state Judicial Needs Assessment has found that the San Joaquin Superior Court is in need of additional judgeships. The selection of Ms. Castillo and Ms. Lee will greatly assist the Court’s goal in continuing to provide access to justice for court litigants.