Nominated by Pete Wilson Name Ming Chin Preceded by Armand Arabian Role Justice | Spouse(s) Carol Joe (m. 1971) Date appointed 1996 Children Jennifer and Jason | |
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Born August 31, 1942 (age 81)
Klamath Falls, Oregon, U.S. ( 1942-08-31 ) Alma mater University of San Francisco (B.A., J.D.) Education University of San Francisco School of Law (1967) Similar People Carol Corrigan, Kathryn Werdegar, Marvin R Baxter, Joyce L Kennard, Ronald M George | ||
Ming chin
Ming William Chin (Chinese: 陳惠明; born August 31, 1942) is an American attorney and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California from March 1, 1996, to the present.
Contents
- Ming chin
- Biography
- Civic activities
- Honors and awards
- Personal life
- Selected publications
- Videos
- References
Biography
Chin was born and raised in Klamath Falls, Oregon. His family moved to San Jose, California, and he attended Bellarmine College Preparatory, graduating in 1960. Chin then received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of San Francisco in 1964. Subsequently, he studied at the University of San Francisco School of Law, and obtained a J.D. in 1967. After graduating, he was commissioned a Captain in the United States Army, and in 1969 was awarded both a Commendation Medal and Bronze Star for his meritorious service in the Vietnam War.
After Chin's discharge, he practiced for three years as a deputy district attorney for the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, and was promoted to felony trial deputy. In 1973, Chin entered private practice with Aiken, Kramer & Cummings, and focused on litigation. He is well-known among California employment lawyers as one of the four current authors of the Rutter Group practice guide on employment litigation.
In 1988, Chin was appointed as a Judge of the Alameda County Superior Court. Then, in August 1990, Governor George Deukmejian elevated Chin to the position of Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal, First District. On August 17, 1994, Governor Pete Wilson appointed Chin as the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, First District, Division Three, beginning January 2, 1995. In November 1994, he was elected to a 12-year term.
On January 25, 1996, Governor Wilson appointed Chin as an Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court. Chin was confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments and sworn in on March 1, 1996. He was retained by the electorate in 1998 and 2010. On December 16, 2014, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye named Chin to the California Judicial Council for a two-year term.
In his first decade on the court, he authored the most majority opinions at the Supreme Court. Among Chin's notable cases is his 2008 dissent in In re Marriage Cases, a 4-3 decision legalizing same-sex marriage in California.
Civic activities
Chin was elected president of the Alameda County Bar Association. He served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of San Francisco.
Honors and awards
Chin has received a series of honors from his alma mater. In 1988, he was selected as the USF Alumnus of the Year. In 1993, he was named USF Law School Alumnus of the Year. Finally, in 1996 USF Law School presented him with the St. Thomas More Award.
Chin was also awarded honorary LL.D. degrees in in 1996 by Southwestern Law School, in 2001 by California Western School of Law, and in 2002 by Pepperdine University School of Law.
Personal life
In 1971, Chin wed Carol Joe, a pharmacist, with whom he has two children: Jennifer (b. 1974) and Jason (b. 1976). Chin is of Asian descent.