Jodi Cleesattle, a supervising deputy attorney general for the Attorney General’s Office, is running to be a San Diego Superior Court judge. She is seeking Office No. 31.
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Cleesattle, 57, who lives in San Diego, faces one opponent for the seat. She has been endorsed by about four dozen current or retired judges and several local bar associations.
The San Diego County Bar Association rated Cleesattle as “Exceptionally Qualified,” the organization’s highest evaluation rating for judicial candidates.
According to the organization, the rating indicates a candidate possesses “exceptional professional ability, experience, competence, integrity and/or temperament to perform the judicial function.” The evaluations are not endorsements.
Judicial races are nonpartisan.
The Union-Tribune emailed a series of questions to Cleesattle and other candidates to help inform voters about their positions, priorities and plans if elected.
Cleesattle said she did not use any AI tools in responding to the Union-Tribune’s questions.
I have been a trial lawyer for 32 years, working for the last 19 years for the California Office of the Attorney General in the Civil Division. I have the practical courtroom experience and knowledge to hear cases fairly and thoughtfully — and the commitment to treating all people with dignity and respect. I stand strongly in support of the rule of law and the pursuit of justice. A leader in the legal community, I have served as president of California Women Lawyers and co-president of the Tom Homann LGBTQ+ Law Association and have served on several bar association boards. I received the 2025 Outstanding Service by a Public Attorney Award from the San Diego County Bar Association and was named the 2021 Public Lawyer of the Year by the California Lawyers Association. I will bring compassion, common sense, and a commitment to equal justice with me to the bench.
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As a long-time public servant, I want to continue my public service as a judge. I have always been an advocate for equal justice and equal access to justice, and I want to help ensure that our courts serve our community and fulfill their important role in our democracy. I believe it’s critical that our judges approach all cases with an open mind, that they carefully consider the law and facts in every case, and that they treat all people who come before the court with dignity and respect. I want to make sure that every person who appears in court gets to have their voice heard and is treated fairly. These are principles I have applied throughout my legal career, and I will uphold them as a judge for the San Diego County Superior Court.
As a judge, I will take an oath to follow the constitution of the United States and of the State of California, just as I took a similar oath when sworn in as an attorney. I will be required to follow the relevant statutes and the prior higher court rulings that apply to the issues before me. Thoughtful legal analysis requires a review of all the relevant case law and statutes, a careful reading of the factors that led the prior courts to reach the rulings they did, and an application of those factors to the present case. Because the law and society are ever evolving, new cases are always arising that present new scenarios to which existing law must be applied. Judges have a responsibility to analyze the existing law and determine how it applies to each new set of facts. This is the foundation of judicial review.
I am the only candidate in the contested judicial races to receive the “Exceptionally Qualified” rating from the San Diego County Bar Association, a reflection of my legal experience, ability, and judicial temperament. I have significantly more legal experience than my opponent — having been a trial lawyer for 32 years compared to his 14 years in practice. I don’t believe my opponent has ever tried a jury or bench trial to verdict, while I have tried 15 jury and bench trials in civil, criminal and juvenile dependency cases. I have the courtroom experience and skills required for San Diego Superior Court judges. I also have a long history of involvement in the legal community and broader community, working collaboratively with others and volunteering to help those most in need. I am committed to serving the public and ensuring that our courts provide equal justice and equal access to justice.
I will follow all judicial rules regarding the use of generative AI, which generally prohibit its use in any adjudicative functions. As a lawyer, I do not use generative AI in my practice, nor would I as a judge (unless permitted for producing standardized orders or court notices). AI can be a useful tool for finding leads on further research, but it cannot be a substitute for thorough legal research and analysis nor for writing legally sound opinions. There have been too many instances where lawyers have submitted briefs with phantom AI-generated legal citations. Judges and lawyers must ensure that the use of AI does not lead to these kinds of errors, which undermine the reliability of our legal system. I remain open to learning about and using AI in ways that are compatible with my ethical responsibilities as a lawyer and as a judge.
I am honored to be the only candidate in the contested judicial races to receive the highest rating from the San Diego County Bar Association — “Exceptionally Qualified” to serve as a judge. This means that the SDCBA, which conducted surveys and interviews with dozens of attorneys and judges to evaluate each judicial candidate, found that I have the “exceptional professional ability, experience, competence, integrity and/or temperament to perform the judicial function.” This rating reflects my significant legal experience and trial experience, my intellect and ability, knowledge of the law, writing and research skills, and ability to manage a caseload effectively, as well as my fairness and objectivity, integrity and honesty, decisiveness, judgment and common sense, judicial temperament, tolerance and lack of bias, courtesy and patience, compassion and understanding, and my professional reputation — all criteria that the SDCBA evaluated in determining its ratings.
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