Don R. Work, Associate Justice

Justice Work was appointed to the Court of Appeal in August 1980 following service as a Judge of the Superior Court from January 1976. Both judicial appointments were made by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. Justice Work was admitted to the California Bar, the Federal District Court and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal in 1959.

Justice Work received a Master of Laws degree from the University of Virginia (1986), a Juris Doctorate (1958) and a B.A. (1955) from Ohio State University, following service in the United States Air Force during the Korean conflict.

Following service as a deputy district attorney (1959-1960), Justice Work engaged in all facets of general law practice and civil and criminal trial practice. He was a certified specialist in criminal law.

Justice Work has engaged in community service as a member of Lions Clubs International since 1959, and chaired the Council of Governors (California-Nevada) in 1995-1996. He has been a board member of the San Diego Human Development Services (YMCA) since 1980 and chaired that organization in 1984.

Before judicial appointment, Justice Work served as Selective Service Representative by appointment of Governor Ronald Reagan, as a member of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, as president of the Imperial Unified School District Board of Trustees, and on various California State Bar committees and commissions.

Justice Work has served as special master for the Commission on Judicial Performance on several occasions, served with the Judicial Council’s Advisory Committee for Circuit Riding Experiment, on the Senate Advisory Committee to Implement Proposition 32, a constitutional amendment restructuring Supreme Court procedures.

Justice Work and his wife, Gloria, have six children.

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