Tani Cantil Sakauye, Associate Justice

Associate Justice Tani Cantil Sakauye served 14 years as a judge on the Sacramento court. In 1990, Governor George Deukmejian appointed her to the Municipal Court, in 1997 Governor Pete Wilson elevated her to the Superior Court, and in 2005 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated her to the Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District where she was unanimously confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments.

On the Sacramento court Justice Cantil Sakauye presided over both criminal and civil assignments. In 1997, she started and presided over the first court in Sacramento dedicated solely to domestic violence issues. Her responsibilities on the Sacramento court included: Chair of the court's criminal law committee, a member of the presiding judge's task force on domestic violence, and a member of the Home Court committee.

Currently, Justice Cantil Sakauye is a member of the Judicial Council, serves on the Mediation Committee of the Third District Court of Appeal, and is on the Executive Committee of the Anthony M. Kennedy Inn of Court. She has also served as a member of the Judicial Council Task Force on Domestic Violence Practice and Procedure and chaired the Best Practices Domestic Violence subcommittee. Justice Cantil Sakauye has twice served as a Special Master for the Commission on Judicial Performance.

Born in 1959 in Sacramento, Justice Cantil Sakauye attended C. K. McClatchy High School, graduating in 1977, and Sacramento City College where she earned her A.A. degree in 1978. In college, Justice Cantil Sakauye discovered her interest in debate and public speaking and on the debate team won many state and national awards. She received her B.A. from the University of California, at Davis, graduating with honors in 1980. After taking a year off to visit her ancestral homeland, the Philippines, Justice Cantil Sakauye entered the University of California at Davis, Martin Luther King Jr. School of Law in 1981. While in law school she was active in student affairs, won first place in the King Hall law school appellate advocacy program, competed and won in the state appellate advocacy program and thereafter competed at the national level in appellate advocacy. Justice Cantil Sakauye was also a member of the King Hall trial practice honors board. In 1984, she received her J.D. and worked as a deputy district attorney for the Sacramento District Attorney's Office where she prosecuted a variety of criminal offenses. In 1988, she worked for Governor George Deukmejian, on his senior staff, in two consecutive capacities -- as deputy legal affairs secretary and as a deputy legislative secretary.

Justice Cantil Sakauye has been a Board member of several nonprofit organizations. She has received many awards including honors from the Sacramento Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, the 2005 President's Award from the Sacramento Asian Bar Association, the 2003 Trailblazer's award from the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, the Filipina of the Year award and other awards from youth groups.

Justice Cantil Sakauye is a co-leader of a Girl Scout troop, a regular speaker at Sacramento events, and active in the community. She, her husband, and two children are involved in their Methodist Church.

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