The 2023 National High School mock trials will soon get underway in Arkansas. Thanks to the dedication of LA County Superior Court Judge Holly J. Fujie, the participants are becoming more diverse.
Judge Fujie has been serving as a judge on the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, since 2012. Growing up as a 'Sansei' in a diverse neighborhood of West Oakland, she chose to pursue a career in the American judicial system after learning of her parents' experience being forced into internment camps during World War II.
She tells KNX reporter Heather Jordan, when she started her journey, no one else looked like her.
"When I was admitted to the bar in 1978 there was not a single Asian American judge, I believe in the United States. So now we work very hard to try to encourage our Asian American lawyers to think about the potential appointment to the bench. And we've been pretty successful with that."
Judge Fujie has been actively involved in the Constitutional Rights Foundation Mock Trials for the past decade, serving as a volunteer judge. The program teaches high school kids about the judicial system, allowing them to play every role, from clerk to attorney to courtroom artist.
In March, she was once again a volunteer judge for the 2023 California Mock Trial Finals at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. The winning team was from Menlo High School, and they'll be representing California on May 18th-20th at the 2023 National High School mock trials.
Judge Fujie says her focus is to, "be an example and a role model to all those people who otherwise might think that they are not represented by judges."
Spending her career breaking barriers and inspiring young people, especially those of color, to get into law, making Superior Court Judge Holly J. Fujie an outstanding addition to our list of KNX Heroes of the Week!
Listen to the whole interview below.
Check out all our KNX Heroes here.
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