Justice Carol A. Corrigan
| Publication year | 2020 |
| Author | By Erik M. Silber |
By Erik M. Silber
CLR: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Justice Corrigan:
First, like many kids, there was a cowgirl and firefighter phase, but I then became a little more focused on what to actually do. You have to remember that I was growing up in the 1950’s and girls did not have quite as many options then as they do now, at least not most girls from my background. So my friends and I were looking at nursing, teaching, and secretarial positions. I was not much of a typist and I was prone to a little queasiness, so the plan was the classroom for me.
CLR: Who were your role models as a child and why?
Justice Corrigan: I would have to say my parents first. I was blessed with two truly wonderful parents. They had me a little later in life, when they were in their mid-30s, because my father served in World War II. He was injured in the Battle of the Bulge, and was hospitalized for a time after that. It was a small family, but a very close one. After my parents, my role models were my teachers. Many of them were in religious communities and had devoted their lives to teaching us, which was, and remains, remarkable.
CLR: Your mother was a librarian and your father worked in the newspaper business. How was the written word viewed in your family when you were growing up?
Justice Corrigan: The written word was very important - all language was really. We were a loquacious, humor-filled Irish family. There was a lot of laughter, word play and spirited discussion at the dinner table. Everybody read inces- santly, and we talked about what we were reading and about what I was learning in school.
CLR: You were raised in Stockton. What was your favorite part of growing up there?
Justice Corrigan: When I was growing up, Stockton had about 100,000 people and a small-town feel to it. I went to Catholic schools, so you tended to know the kids you went to school with from the first grade on. The teachers often had taught your parents or cousins. I remember feeling very happy and secure as a kid, which I think are two of the greatest gifts that you can give a child. I remember fishing with my dad and learning to play golf, and I remember my mom always talking about books and ideas. It was the kind of town where kids rode their bikes until the street lights came on and then you went home for dinner. That small town experience was very much a part of it. But we were also lucky enough to be close to the big city of San Francisco along with the beaches and the mountains.
CLR: You were the first person in your family to go to col- lege. How significant was that opportunity?
Justice Corrigan: It was a big deal. None of my grandpar- ents completed high school and my parents graduated from high school at the beginning of the Great Depression. Even though going right to work was necessary, they remained lifelong learners. My dad was in the newspaper business and my mom was a librarian in the days when you could get jobs like that without a college degree. But it was always expected that I would get one because that was the way up and out. None of us were quite sure exactly what that would entail or where it would lead, but we were all clear that it was going to happen.
CLR: You started off pursing a doctorate in clinical psychol- ogy, but wound up switching to the law. What led you to change your path?
Justice Corrigan: In 1970, when I was graduating, not a lot of girls were going off to law school, certainly not among the people I knew. I was interested in the study of psychol- ogy — and still am — so I thought that might be a good fit. When I got to graduate school, I discovered that the law students were much more intriguing than the psychology students. In my dormitory, there were several women who were in the law school and I began to think, “If these gals can do it, maybe I can too.” That lesson stayed with me and is much reflected on our social dialogue today. It is very important to be able to see people with whom you identify doing something to which you aspire. It lets you say to yourself “maybe I should give it a shot.”
CLR: You got both your undergraduate and law degrees in the Bay Area, Holy Names for undergraduate and Hastings for law school. What drew you to the Bay Area?
Justice Corrigan: I went to graduate school in St. Louis, and it was an interesting experience for a California girl to go off to the Midwest. I very much enjoyed it. But California was home and I was pretty sure I wanted to come back and stay in the Bay Area. It made sense to start my undergraduate and law careers there.
CLR: You have stayed in the Bay Area after graduation from law school. What has kept you in the Bay Area?
Justice Corrigan: The short answer is I got a job in the Bay Area and I really like it here.
CLR: Your first job as an attorney was as an assistant district attorney in Alameda. How did serving as a prosecutor shape your career as an attorney, judge, and justice? And are you surprised that you have been joined on the Supreme Court recently by another Justice (Justice Jenkins) who also got his start in that office?
Justice Corrigan: I was lucky to get a job in one of the best district attorney's offices in the country. Earl Warren had been the District Attorney in Alameda County, as had D. Lowell Jensen, who went on to have a distinguished career in the Justice Department and as a federal judge. Lowell was gracious, and brave enough to hire me and mentor me along with many others. I made lifelong friends at the district attorney's office. Learning to be a trial lawyer, especially in that rough and tumble competitive environment, is a little bit like going to bootcamp together. You really bond. We were all learning from one another all at the same time. A lot of exceptional people got their start in that office. I am not at all surprised that Justice Jenkins has joined our group on the Supreme Court. I am much more surprised to find myself here.
CLR: What were the most important things that you learned as an attorney that shaped your career on the bench?
Justice Corrigan: The importance of integrity; the power of the law in people's lives and in the life of the broader society; and how crucial it is to remember that the law is always, at its core, a human enterprise. I loved being a trial lawyer. I have often said that it was the best job I ever had, including the job I have now. That's due in part to the quality and ethics of the office where I learned my craft. That helped me to get a feel for the courtroom in terms of how things can, and should, play out there.
CLR: You have ultimately served on the Municipal Court, Superior Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court. What did you enjoy most about each of those varied positions?
Justice Corrigan: When you say it that way, it makes me sound like I can't keep a job! Being in the trial court just felt like home. I knew most of the lawyers from practicing either with them or as friendly adversaries. I knew many of the others from bar events. I was — and remain — fascinated by the flow of the trial process, which is one of the reasons why I still teach trial practice. A transition to the courts of review was great because I love the process of writing about the law. Approaching an appeal is a little bit like solving a puzzle. You really have to understand what happened; you have to master the area of the law involved; you have to figure out what was the right and fair answer; and then you have to explain it all. What could be a better job than that? It is an amazing privilege to help shape and clarify the law and keep it true to serving the goals of justice.
CLR: How did your time as a trial judge and appellate justice impact your work as a Supreme Court Justice?
Justice Corrigan: I certainly did not come from generations of lawyers, so getting to see the way things unfold in the courtroom was a very helpful lens through which to view the...
To continue reading
Request your trial