Community Outreach
San Francisco Superior Court judges eagerly participate in many community events in the City and County of San Francisco.
Day in Court Program
The Day in Court program was founded in 1999 by attorney (now Judge) Stephen M. Murphy, who modeled the program after one he experienced in Portland, Oregon. He partnered with the Barristers Club, the new lawyers division of the Bar Association of San Francisco, to offer San Francisco schoolchildren tours of the local courthouse. These tours provide an opportunity for students in grades five through eight to visit the civil courthouse, observe hearings and jury trials, and interact with court staff and judges.
How it works: Teachers can sign up for a Day in Court field trip through the Bar Association of San Francisco website. More information is also contained on the website.
Sign up today!
Registration: Day in Court
Judges in the Classroom (JIC)
Judges in the Classroom (JIC) is part of the Statewide Civic Learning Initiative tailored to improve civic learning and engagement in California. The JIC program promotes civic engagement to public schools in California for students K-12 by connecting classrooms with a judicial officer for lessons on the role of the judiciary, the three branches of government, rule of law, and other areas of civics.
How it works: The JIC matches teachers and their classroom with a judge. The JIC website allows teachers to make requests for an active bench officer to make a classroom appearance, in-person or remotely.
Sign up today!
Registration: Judges in the Classroom website
2024 Community Outreach
Clement street night market
Judges Michelle Tong, Alexandra Robert Gordon, Monica F. Wiley and Simon J. Frankel answered questions from the public during the Clement Street Night Market in September 2024.
Castro Street Fair
Judges Eric R. Fleming, Daniel A. Flores, Brian J. Stretch, Michael McNaughton and Kenneth Wine answered questions at the Court's Castro Street Fair booth in September 2024.
Judges Daniel A. Flores, Joseph M. Quinn, Brendan P. Conroy and Brian Ferrall helped answer questions from the public while staffing the Court's booth at the Castro Street Fair in September 2024.
Richmond Night Market
Judges A. Marisa Chun, Brendan Conroy, Simon J. Frankel, Christine Van Aken and Braden C. Woods connected in August with many neighbors to answer questions about getting an attorney, landlord/tenant issues, restraining orders, and other services and referrals available through the Court's ACCESS Center.
Photo from left to right: Judge Frankel, Judge Van Aiken, Judge Conroy, Judge Woods and Judge Chun at the Court's booth in August 2024 at the Richmond Night Market.
Judges Mentor 1L Law Students
Judges A. Marisa Chun, Daniel A. Flores, Carolyn Gold, Christopher C. Hite, and Russell Roeca hosted local first-year law students during March 2024 through BASF’s 1L Open Doors Job Shadow Program. Open Doors strives to help 1L students jumpstart their professional development by providing them an insider’s perspective of what lawyers and judges do on a daily basis.
Judge Maria E. Evangelista, Judge A. Marisa Chun and Visiting Judge Harry Jacobs participate in a brown bag lunch discussion regarding careers in the law with law students who shadowed SF Superior Court judges through Open Doors. From left to right between the judges are Sydney Johnson, UC Law San Francisco; Keila Escobedo, Golden Gate University Law School; Nasim Rezai, University of San Francisco Law School; Kirandip Kaur, University of San Francisco Law School; and Amina Khribeche, Golden Gate University Law School.
Former BASF President Judge Russ Roeca and Open Doors program founder Judge A. Marisa Chun at the BASF Open Doors Reception honoring the participating law students and host legal organizations.
from high school to court webinar
Judge Daniel A. Flores, Judge Eric R. Fleming, and Judge Anne Costin were panelists in March 2024 for From High School to Court webinar as part of the San Francisco Superior Court Public Outreach Committee (Court Outreach Committee), and Deputy City Attorney Rebecca Louie as moderator.
BASF's 8th Annual Solo and Small Firm Conference
Judge Daniel A. Flores was a keynote Speaker in January 2024 at BASF’s 8th Annual Solo and Small Firm Conference
2023 Community Outreach
2023 San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association (SFLTA) Mock Trial Competition
Judge Michael I. Begert participated in the 2023 San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association (SFLTA) Mock Trial Competition at the San Francisco Superior Court on November 4, 2023. Law students from Golden Gate University, McGeorge School of Law, UC Law San Francisco and Santa Clara University competed in the mock trial competition.
Judges at the Potrero Hill Festival
Judges recently gathered to meet with members of the public and answer general questions about the Court and its services. Members of the Court Outreach Committee participated in community outreach at the Potrero Hill Festival in October 2023.
Photo from left to right: Judge Daniel A. Flores, Judge Patrick Thompson, Judge Eric R. Fleming and Judge Braden C. Woods at the Potrero Hill Festival.
Making Victims' Rights a Reality
Judge Daniel A. Flores presented at the Judicial Council of California’s Making Victims’ Rights a Reality, in September 2023.
Mariam El-menshawi, executive director of the California Victims Legal Resource Center and Adjunct Professor at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, with Judge Daniel Flores at the Making Victims’ Rights a Reality event.
project pull summer internship program
Judge Daniel A. Flores was a speaker for the City and County of San Francisco’s Project Pull Summer Internship Program in August 2023.
diversity legal pipeline
Judge Daniel A. Flores was a speaker for the Diversity Legal Pipeline, Youth Law Academy, Centro Legal de La Raza, in June 2023.
AAPI Meet the Judges Event
Sponsored by the Court's Elimination of Bias Committee, judges held a Meet the Judges event on May 20, 2023 at the Willie Woo Woo Wong Clubhouse in Chinatown. The event was held in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Judges invited the public to get to know their local judges and provided information to the public on small claims, family law, criminal, civil harassment, preliminary hearings and juvenile justice. The panel was followed by a question-and-answer session.
Photo from left to right: Judge Michelle Tong, Judge A. Marisa Chun, Judge Roger Chan, Judge Daniel A. Flores, Judge Richard C. Darwin, Judge Brendan P. Conroy and Judge Michael Rhoads.
judges of color
Judge Daniel A. Flores was a panelist for the Judges of Color program at Golden Gate University School of Law in May 2023.
Solano Superior Court Judge Amyra Cobb-Hampton, Judge Maria E. Evangelista and Judge Daniel A. Flores at the Judges of Color program.
Drinks and Diversity
Judge Daniel A. Flores was a panelist for Drinks and Diversity, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in January 2023.
collaborative justice courts
Judge Kathleen Kelly serves as Chair of the Juvenile Subcommittee for the Judicial Council Collaborative Justice Courts Advisory Committee.
2022 Community Outreach
the challenge of civility: how to disagree without bring disagreeable
Judge Daniel A. Flores was a panelist in February 2022 for the The Challenge of Civility: How to Disagree Without Being Disagreeable at the McGeorge School of Law.
International Visitors
The San Francisco Superior Court hosts foreign delegations of visitors eager to learn more about the American justice system and the trial courts in California. Delegations often visit from China, Japan, Korea and Australia. Foreign delegations bring their own translator and observe court proceedings and visit with San Francisco Superior Court judges who answer their questions about the justice system in California.
Argentinian Delegation
Judge Harry M. Dorfman hosted a delegation of legal professionals from Argentina at the Hall of Justice. Judge Dorfman imparted his wisdom during a question-and-answer session on criminal procedure and trial practice.
Judge Harry M. Dorfman (center) and Court Executive Officer Brandon E. Riley (back row, second from right) with the Argentinian delegation during a Hall of Justice visit in October 2023.