9th Circuit Court of Appeals Holds Memorial for Cynthia Holcomb Hall

Earlier this week, the Judges of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals convened in honor of a recently departed judge, reports Metropolitan News Enterprise.

Judge Cynthia Holcomb Hall passed away in February, at the age of 82. And coming from an era where women lawyers were rare and women judges even more so, Judge Hall was a trailblazer for women in the legal industry, like her fellow Stanford Law alumnus, Retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

A special session was held in the en banc courtroom of the Richard H. Chambers U.S. Courthouse in Pasadena, with many people in attendance.

Some notable attendees were U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy and Justice O'Connor.

Hall passed away of myeloma in Pasadena this February, with her family at her bedside, reports Metropolitan News-Enterprise.

She was appointed to the bench in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan. Prior to he tenure on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Hall served on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California since 1981. She had also served on the bench at the Tax Court from 1972 to 1981.

She decided on many issues during her term on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, sometimes controversial ones. In 2006, she joined in the majority ruling upholding the free-speech rights of a high school student to display a banner that read "Bong Hits 4 Jesus."

She was also known for her love of beauty and the "ornamental gardens" she created at the Pasadena courthouse, writes The Los Angeles Times.

"Judge Hall was a respected jurist who took strong positions and stood by them. She was a valued colleague and a good friend to many. She will be missed," 9th Circuit Chief Judge Alex Kozinski said

Related Resources:

• Browse 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Cases (FindLaw Cases)
• In Defense of The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (FindLaw's Writ)
• 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to Have Remote En Banc Broadcast (FindLaw's 9th Circuit Blog)