State Bar appoints CSUB pre-law director to key commission

Dr. Jeanine Kraybill will assist governor in evaluating judicial nominees

By California State University, Bakersfield

August 31^st, 2022

Dr. Jeanine Kraybill — associate professor of political science and director of the pre-law program at California State University, Bakersfield — has been appointed by the State Bar of California to an influential commission that assists Gov. Gavin Newsom in evaluating the qualifications of judicial nominees to fill vacancies on the state trial, appellate and supreme courts.

Kraybill started her three-year term on the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation at a shadow meeting in Los Angeles this August and has begun the work of reviewing judicial candidates. She will attend the body’s statewide meeting in October in San Francisco as a sworn commissioner.

“I am honored and humbled to assist the governor with my appointment to the JNE commission,” she said. “My latest research and publications focus on judicial behavior and the courts. Earlier this spring, I served on the federal magistrate selection panel to screen candidates to replace the Honorable Judge Jennifer Thurston. With these and other experiences in mind, I have the requisite expertise to serve in this appointment, but I know I have more to learn and am eager to do so. Most importantly, I am excited to represent the Central Valley and CSUB in this role.”

Since joining CSUB in 2015, Dr. Kraybill has expanded pre-law opportunities for students by creating and enhancing programs and partnerships within the local legal community, including the Pre-Law Advisory Committee and the CSUB Legal Information & Support Clinic.

Along with Dr. James Rodriguez, dean of the School of Social Sciences and Education, she is contributing her leadership to a new initiative at CSUB, the California LAW Pathways Program. This program is designed to prepare students for careers in the law and increase the number of talented, diverse attorneys in the region.

Earlier this year, the Kern County Bar Association recognized Dr. Kraybill with the Ivy Person Award, the highest honor the local body confers upon non-attorneys working to promote the legal community.

“We are proud of Dr. Kraybill’s long list of achievements, but her true gift is the powerful mentorship she so selflessly provides to her students,” said CSUB President Lynnette Zelezny. “In her tireless dedication to the law, she is imparting a crucial message to those students: Engagement is the greatest expression of civic responsibility.”

The role of the JNE Commission is to “conduct a confidential evaluation of the judicial qualifications of candidates whose names have been submitted to the commission by the governor and to report its findings, in absolute confidence, to the governor,” according to the JNE website.

Commissioners conduct investigations on judicial candidates throughout the year and are not paid for their service. They meet in person every other month, alternating between Los Angeles and San Francisco.