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Lauri A. Damrell↗

Associate Justice
First retention voteTrellis trial record

Former Orrick employment and pay equity partner; Sacramento trial judge 2018 to 2026, where she created the Complex Civil Litigation department. No widely reported appellate rulings yet.

Trellis profile ↗
On your ballot. Vote Yes or No on keeping Lauri A. Damrell on the court (first retention vote). Appears on ballots in Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo and Yuba.

Qualifications

Appointment. Appointed by Gov. Newsom, 2026.
Outside rating. None found. The State Bar rates nominees before appointment, but we could not find this rating in public sources.
Before the bench. Federal clerk, then Orrick partner focusing on employment law and pay equity. Sacramento Superior Court judge 2018 to 2026, where she created the court's Complex Civil Litigation department. Chaired the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.

Conduct

No public discipline or controversies found.

What others recommend

In this district, we found published positions mainly from conservative and Republican groups. Most Democratic, progressive and newspaper groups here had not published positions on these justices as of October 16.
Robyn Nordell's conservative guide repeats Craig Huey's picks, so it is not listed separately.
Trellis does not make recommendations. These are positions published by outside groups as of October 16, 2026. Labels describe each group's general leaning.

Notable rulings

No widely reported rulings found.

From the trial court record

Heard a mix of cases, most often debt collection cases (44%). Granted motions at about the same rate as other judges in the county, and cases moved faster than the county average, which usually reflects the kind of cases assigned.

Their trial court record, compared with other judges in the county

Bars compare this judge with county and state averages. Differences usually reflect the kinds of cases a judge was assigned.

Motions granted
This judge: 58.0%
County avg: 55.6%
State avg: 54.8%
Average case length
This judge: 422 days
County avg: 877 days
State avg: 651 days
Time to trial
This judge: 397 days
County avg: 612 days
State avg: 531 days
Caseload mix
Creditor 44%, Torts 30.3%, Commercial 13.6%
Sacramento County Superior Court · 5,488 docketsUpdated 2026-10-02 · Full profile →
Sources: Court bio

Others on the same ballot

  • Laurie M. EarlFormer public defender and deputy DA; Sacramento trial judge from 2005, presiding judge 2012 to 2013. Credited with helping clear the Third District's case backlog.
  • David B. SappGovernor's Legal Affairs Secretary since 2022 and former ACLU education lawyer; never a trial judge. Nominee who takes the seat in 2027 if retained; no rulings yet.
  • Stacy Boulware EurieFormer Senior Assistant Attorney General; Sacramento trial judge for 15 years, including juvenile court presiding judge 2010 to 2018. No widely reported appellate rulings yet.
  • Jonathan K. RennerFormer Senior Assistant Attorney General and governor's Legal Affairs Secretary; never a trial judge. The Supreme Court unanimously adopted his partial dissent in a murder-liability case.
  • Aimee A. FeinbergFormer U.S. Supreme Court clerk and California Deputy Solicitor General 2014 to 2023; never a trial judge. Appointed 2024; no widely reported rulings yet.
  • Shama Hakim MesiwalaFirst South Asian and Muslim woman on a California appellate court; Sacramento trial judge 2017 to 2023. Supreme Court unanimously adopted her dissent in a school abuse case.