Wednesday, February 17, 1999
UCLA alumna nominated for seat on federal bench
JUDGESHIP: California senator recommends acclaimed lawyer for
important court assignment
By Joy McMasters
Daily Bruin Contributor
Dolly Gee, a UCLA alumnus, could become the first Chinese
American woman to sit on the federal bench. Earlier this month, she
was recommended for a federal trial judgeship by Senator Barbara
Boxer (D-Calif.).
Active in the Asian American legal community, Gee has served as
the president of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers
Association. In addition, she co-founded both the Asian Pacific
American Bar Association of Los Angeles and the Multicultural Bar
Alliance.
"I am so pleased to make this recommendation. Dolly Gee is a
first-rate attorney with strong ties to the Los Angeles Community,"
said Boxer in a statement. "Her and her family’s story of hard work
and personal triumph are proof of the power of the American
Dream."
As the daughter of Chinese immigrants, Gee saw first-hand the
injustices laborers such as her mother suffered while working in
the garment industry. This is part of what drove her to become a a
labor attorney, according to Boxer’s office.
Among her qualifications, Gee has served as a presidential
appointee on a panel responsible for monitoring the justice of
union elections.
When submitted in December, Gee’s application to Boxer’s office
was reviewed, and after a screening process she was recommended
Feb. 2 to President Clinton for a federal judgeship in California’s
Central District.
If Gee is formally nominated to the Senate by Clinton, the
Judiciary Committee will review her file, and the nomination will
then go to the Senate floor for a final vote.
But this approval process is inherently slow, and during the
Clinton administration, it has slowed even more, said visiting UCLA
scholar Angela Oh. Oh explained that there is a "crisis in the
Judiciary."
As a result, the process could take anywhere from a few months
to a few years.
In fact, the problem of open benches has become so extensive
that the Supreme Court has publicly requested positions be filled
more quickly.
Gee was recommended for an Article III appointment, which would
place her on the bench for life.
"Dolly has the intellectual ability, the legal experience, the
temperament, the demeanor for a judge at that level," said Oh, a
friend and colleague of Gee’s.
The recommendation is a "huge honor" and demonstrates much
progress for the Asian-American legal community, she added.
Gee graduated from UCLA Suma Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a
bachelor’s degree in political science and asian-american studies
in 1981. She received her law degree from the UCLA Law School three
years later, in 1984.
Continuing her involvement with UCLA, Gee has worked with
students through the Asian American Studies Center (AASC).
"Dolly has always been really receptive and supportive in
talking to students," said Meg Thornton, Student and Community
Projects coordinator of the AASC.
Gee was also involved with Concerned Asian Pacific Students for
Action during her UCLA career.
"It’s an honor to be recommended for the position," said Gee,
who declined to comment further because this recommendation comes
so early in the appointment process.
Currently, Gee is a partner at the Los Angeles law firm of
Schwartz, Steinsapir, Dohrmann & Sommers where her practice
centers on civil litigation and labor law.
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