Born: 1941 (Bandung, West Java, Dutch East Indies)
Biography:
Josephine Joyce Luther Kennard, born on May 6, 1941, is a Dutch-American judge and former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California. She was appointed by Governor George Deukmejian in 1989 and served as the longest-serving justice sitting on the Court until her retirement in 2014. Kennard was retained by California’s voters three times, first to fill the unexpired term in 1990, followed by second and third consecutive twelve-year terms in 1994 and 2006.
Kennard was born in Bandung, a city in the Indonesian province of West Java, when Indonesia was still a Dutch colony. Both of her parents had mixed Eurasian ancestry. Her father, Johan, had Dutch, Indonesian, and German origins, while her mother, Wilhemine, was mainly of Chinese Indonesian descent, as well as Dutch and Belgian ancestry. Kennard speaks English with a distinctive Dutch accent.
During World War II, when she was just one year old, Kennard’s father passed away in a Japanese concentration camp. Following his death, Kennard and her mother moved to the Netherlands in 1955. Unfortunately, Kennard’s aspiration of attending university was thwarted when she developed a tumor on her right leg, leading to the amputation of part of her limb at the age of 16. Undeterred, she now walks with the aid of a prosthesis.
In 1961, Kennard immigrated to the United States under a special law that had authorized 15,000 additional visas for Dutch Indonesian refugees. Initially settling in Los Angeles, she secured her first U.S. job as a secretary for Occidental Life Insurance. Meanwhile, her mother, stuck in a menial restaurant job, remained in the Netherlands to ensure her daughter would always have a place to call home. Tragically, Wilhemine passed away from lung cancer in 1968, leaving Kennard with a treasured gift before her death—a $5,000 bequest she had diligently saved up over the years.
With this inheritance, combined with Kennard’s own savings and supplementary income from part-time work, she was finally able to pursue her long-delayed dream of attending college. In 1970, she earned an A.A. from Pasadena City College. The following year, Kennard graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, specializing in German, from the University of Southern California (USC) with Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude honors. She continued her studies at USC, ultimately earning a Master of Public Administration from the USC Price School of Public Policy in 1974, as well as a Juris Doctor from the USC Gould School of Law.
In December 1974, Kennard was admitted to the State Bar of California, and from 1975 to 1979, she worked as a Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice. Following her stint as a Deputy Attorney General, Kennard began her distinguished career as a private practice attorney in Los Angeles. Her expertise and dedication to justice caught the attention of Governor Deukmejian, who appointed her to serve on the Supreme Court of California in 1989.
Throughout her tenure as an Associate Justice, Kennard demonstrated an unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law and protecting the rights of all Californians. She made significant contributions to the field of law, participating in numerous landmark decisions that shaped the legal landscape of California. Kennard’s intellect, integrity, and compassion earned her the respect and admiration of her colleagues and the legal community at large.
Beyond her judicial responsibilities, Kennard actively engaged with the legal community and mentored aspiring lawyers. Her dedication to promoting fairness and equality inspired generations of legal professionals. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, she received numerous accolades and honors throughout her career.
Awards:
– [List of awards here]