From Farmworker to State Supreme Court Justice: Cruz Reynoso’s Lifetime Achievements to be Celebrated at Mondavi Center Gala

“What: Gala honoring Cruz Reynoso, who rose from a Brea barrio to become the first Latino to serve on the California Supreme Court, as he retires from public life. A civil rights champion for more than five decades, he served two California governors and two U.S. presidents. He has been a professor of law at UC Davis since 2001. Reynoso will receive the University Medal, the highest honor bestowed by UC Davis, along with tributes from some of the most important figures in California’s labor, legal and legislative communities, including Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, José Padilla, executive director, California Rural Legal Assistance and state Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles. Event is free and open to the public.
When: 5 to 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15
Where: Jackson Hall, Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis
Who: In addition to Huerta, Padilla and Cedillo, special guests will include Mario Obledo, president of the National Coalition of Hispanic Organizations, and the Honorable Patricio M. Serna, a justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court.
Background: Reynoso was born May 2, 1931. He graduated from Pomona College in 1953 and earned his law degree from UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall in 1958. He was assistant chief of the California Fair Employment Practices Commission, associate general counsel of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and director of California Rural Legal Assistance. He was appointed associate justice of the California Courts of Appeal in 1976. In 1982, he was appointed to the California Supreme Court. President Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in 2000.
Visuals: Photos and videos from Reynoso’s life. Tributes from colleagues and friends.
Directions and Parking: From I-80 West (from Sacramento), take the UC Davis/Mondavi Center exit. Turn right onto Old Davis Road and follow detour signs to the parking structure entrance. From I-80 East (from Bay Area), take the UC Davis/Mondavi Center exit. Turn left onto Old Davis Road and follow detour signs to the parking structure entrance. From Highway 113 South (from Woodland), take the I-80 east off-ramp toward Sacramento. Take the UC Davis/Mondavi Center exit near the end of the ramp and turn left onto Old Davis Road. Follow detour signs to the parking structure entrance. The parking structure is located south of the building.”

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