Ming W. Chin
Supreme Court of California
On March 1, 1996, Justice Ming W. Chin became an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California. Governor Pete Wilson appointed him to that position on January 25, 1996. On March 1, he was confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments and sworn in by the Governor. Justice Chin previously served as the Presiding Justice of the First District Court of Appeal, Division Three, in San Francisco beginning January 2, 1995. He was appointed to that position by Governor Pete Wilson on August 17, 1994, and in November 1994 was elected to a 12-year term. Previously he was an associate justice of that court, having been appointed to that position by former Governor George Deukmejian. Prior to that appointment, he served as a judge of the Alameda County Superior Court. Before his appointment to the bench, Justice Chin was a partner in an Oakland law firm, where he specialized in business and commercial litigation.
Justice Chin obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science as well as a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of San Francisco and was admitted to the California State Bar in 1970; he also has been admitted to practice before the federal courts, as well as the United States Tax Court. After he graduated from law school, Justice Chin served two years as a Captain in the United States Army, including a year in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and the Bronze Star. He then served three years as a deputy district attorney for Alameda County, where he tried numerous felony and misdemeanor jury trials and progressed to the position of felony trial deputy. In 1973, Justice Chin was recruited by the Oakland law firm of Aiken, Kramer & Cummings, Incorporated, to head its trial department. He became a principal of the firm in 1976.
- Justice
- Supreme Court of California
- - Current
- November 2010, elected to 12 year term
- Justice
- Court of Appeal, First District, Division Three
- -
- Presiding Justice 1994-1996
- Judge
- Alameda County Superior Court
- -
- Attorney
- Aiken, Kramer & Cummings, Inc.
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- Associate 1973-1976 Partner 1976-1988
- Captain
- United States Army Reserves
- -
- 91st Division, Headquarters Fort Baker Sausalito, California
- Deputy District Attorney
- Alameda County, California
- -
- Captain
- United States Army
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- Fort Lewis, Washington Chief of the Transfer Station U.S. Army Personnel Center Fort Carson, Colorado Chief Personnel Officer 1st Brigade of the 5th Division Long Binh, Vietnam Procurement Officer U.S. Army Headquarters, Vietnam
- University of San Francisco School of Law
- J.D. (1967) | Law
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- University of San Francisco
- B.A. (1964) | Political Science
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- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Orange County Asian American Bar Association
- Jurist of the Year Award
- Judicial Council of California
- Saint Thomas More Award
- St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco
- Legal Impact Award
- Asian Law Alliance
- Commitment to Community Award
- Asian Pacific Bar Association of Silicon Valley
- Judicial Council of California
- Member
- Current
- Activities: Vice-Chair, Judicial Council of California Chair, Court Technology Advisory Committee, 2002 - 2012 Chair, California Commission for Impartial Courts, 2007 - 2010 Chair, Science and the Law Steering Committee, 2005 - 2007 Member, Advisory Committee on Racial and Ethnic Bias, 1990 - 1997 Member, Appellate Advisory Committee, 1993 - 1996
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- State Bar of California
- Member
- Current
- Activities: Delegate, Conference of Delegates, 1983 - 1986 Referee, State Bar Court, 1978, 1979 Member, Executive Committee of the State Bar Court, 1993 - 1994
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- Alameda County Bar Association
- Member
- Current
- Activities: Board of Directors, 1983 - 1988 Vice-President, 1986 President, 1987
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- University of San Francisco
- Multiple affiliations
- Current
- Activities: Member, Alpha Sigma Nu, National Jesuit Honor Society Editor, USF Yearbook, 1964 (The Don) Member, USF Alumni Board of Governors, 1978 - 1984 President, USF Alumni Association, 1983 - 1984 Member, Board of Counselors, USF School of Law, 1980 to present Commencement Speaker, College of Professional Studies, May 1985 Member, USF Board of Trustees, 1985 - 1997 Member, Personnel Committee, 1985 - 1988 Member, Executive Committee, 1986 - 1988, 1993 - 1998 Member, Academic Affairs Committee, 1988 - 1998; Chairman of the Committee, 1993 - 1998 Adjunct Professor of Law, 1989 - 1993
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- California Judges Association
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: Public Information and Education Committee Graduate, California Judges College, 1988
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- San Francisco District Attorney's Commission on Hate Crimes
- Member
- -
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- California Practice Guide: Employment Litigation
- The Rutter Group
- California Practice Guide: Forensic DNA
- The Rutter Group
- Judicial Independence: Under Attack Again?
- Hastings L.J.
- Healthcare and Other Social Aspects of Genetics: a Judicial Perspective
- Int. J. Healthcare Technology and Management
- Keynote Address: "Fairness or Bias?: A Symposium on Racial and Ethnic Composition and Attitudes in the Judiciary"
- Asian Law Journal (Boalt Hall School of Law, U.C. Berkeley)
