Candidate Profile from Santa Barbara Lawyer

By Jean M. Dandona

(Jean M. Dandona answers questions posed by the Santa Barbara County Bar Association

1) What is your current position/area of practice?

I am currently the Senior Supervising Research Attorney for the Santa Barbara Superior Court (South County).

2) Describe your previous positions/areas of practice.

During the 1980's I was an associate with several local firms (Samuelson & Oksner; Heily, Blase, & Ellison, later Heily & Blase; and Howard C. Parke & John H. Parke). Between 1990 and early 1999 I was a sole practitioner; I also worked "of counsel" to John Lauritsen doing insurance defense and frequently served as an arbitrator.

For almost two decades, I represented both plaintiffs and defendants in almost all areas of civil litigation, including business, personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, professional liability, real property, contract, construction, and telecommunications.

3) What year were you admitted to the Bar?

1979.

4) What law school did you attend? Do you have other education credentials that contribute to your ability to be a judge?

I graduated from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in December 1978. I also have a secondary teaching credential from U.C.S.B.

I have attended California Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER) programs (California Judicial Research Attorneys Institute, and a course on CEQA). I have access to on-line presentations from various CJER judicial education programs, and (for fun) I access these during lunch hours.

5) Why do you want to be a judge?

I have had the opportunity to do some similar-type work (work with limited supervision, under time constraints, performing complex legal research, analyzing pleadings and evidence in court cases, and applying California statutory and case law to legal issues), and I love it.

I want to be a judge because I want the person making the decisions in both routine and difficult matters to have my values and characteristics.

6) Aside from your experience as an attorney, what qualities or experience qualifies you for the bench?

I am hard working and have a strong legal mind. More importantly, treating all people with respect, dignity, grace, compassion, and fairness comes naturally to me. I have the courage to make unpopular decisions if they are right. I believe I am able to do so without bias. I am old enough to have acquired significant experience and wisdom, yet young enough to have the energy to look forward to decades of public service.

7) How do you distinguish yourself as the best candidate among those running for the office?

There are four fine, experienced candidates, each with particular strengths. I think the choice comes down to style. I would describe mine as hardworking, intellectual, and gracious.

8) What changes, if any, would you like to make in order to improve judicial service at our Superior Court?

I believe that for the most part, judicial service at our Court is truly superior, and we are blessed with a number of hard working, dedicated, ethical judges. I would emulate the best qualities of the best judges.

In one area in which I have a particular interest, family law, I am committed to establishing a "kinder, gentler" system, which would include mediation through the court in most cases. I would also continue to promote the trends of mediation of civil disputes where appropriate, and speedy trials and hearing where not.

9) What changes, if any, would you like to see by practitioners who would appear before you if you were elected?

I am impressed and humbled by the quality of most practitioners in our courts. If anything, I would like to see more acts of human kindness.