Celebrating Justice Kelli Evans ‘94

January 20, 2023

On Jan. 19, students, faculty, staff and alumni gathered in the King Hall courtyard for a special celebration of the California Supreme Court’s newest Associate Justice, Kelli Evans ’94.

“I remember the first time I set foot in King Hall and saw the statue of Dr. King and knew I had come to the right place,” Evans told the King Hall audience. The Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award winner in her 3L year, Evans credits her UC Davis Law education with helping her in a public service career path that included roles as an Alameda Superior Court judge, chief deputy legal affairs secretary to Gov. Gavin Newsom, and associate director of the ACLU of Northern California.

“At King Hall, you learn how to passionately state your positions, to be clear writers, and you learn how to do the right thing, and to speak up,” Evans said. She aims to apply those same values and skills to her work on the Supreme Court, she said. Evans then spent the rest of the event speaking personally with current King Hall students.

View a photo album from the event.

Justice Kelli Evans '94 speaking about her experience as a student at King Hall and her new appointment to the California Supreme Court.

Justice Kelli Evans '94 and Dean Johnson — Justice Kelli Evans '94 and Dean Kevin Johnson.

Justice Kelli Evans '94 and Prof. Aldana — Justice Kelli Evans '94, left, with Professor Raquel Aldana, middle.

Justice Evans speaking to students — Justice Kelli Evans '94 speaking with students.

Justice Evans with students and BLSA members. — Justice Kelli Evans '94 with students and members of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA).

Justice Evans — Justice Kelli Evans '94, left, Dean Kevin Johnson, and Stephen F. Boutin '72.

Justice Evans with faculty members — Justice Kelli Evans '94 speaking with Professor Lisa Ikemoto, left, Professor Karrigan Bork, middle, Dean Kevin Johnson, right.

Primary Category

Alumni