Luis A. Lavin

Justice Lavin was appointed to the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, in 2015. He has authored hundreds of opinions in every area of the law. In addition to his duties on the Court of Appeal, Justice Lavin has sat by appointment on the California Supreme Court on several occasions.

Before being elevated, Justice Lavin was a Los Angeles Superior Court judge for thirteen years. As a Superior Court judge, he presided over civil, criminal, and family law matters. Prior to his appointment to the trial court, he was Director of Enforcement and General Counsel for the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission. Before that, Justice Lavin served as a senior trial attorney with the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice. At various points in his career, he worked in private practice representing clients in civil litigation, arbitrations, and transactional matters.

Justice Lavin received many awards for his service and achievements, including the Beacon of Justice Award and the Carlos R. Moreno Judicial Excellence Award.

Justice Lavin has taught as an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School, Southwestern Law School, and USC School of Law. He has also served as an instructor of judicial education for the California Center for Judicial Education and Research and the Los Angeles Superior Court.

A naturalized U.S. citizen born in Cuba, Justice Lavin attended public schools before graduating from Cornell University and Harvard Law School.