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Standing Committee
Amicus Briefs CommitteeWhen a case matters to women in the law, we are how Queen's Bench speaks to the court. How we work
Activates when a case arises
Open to
Every member — appellate experience welcome, not required
Contact
The Amicus ShelfEvery case on this shelf is a moment Queen's Bench spoke to a court. Click a spine to take a volume down. If amicus work is new to you, start with the white handbook at the front. California Supreme Court U.S. Supreme Court Other state and federal courts Foundation research, not a brief The handbook OUTFiled, but our copy is missing This edition of the shelf was curated by Alexandra Sepolen, CWL Liaison, Chair of the CWL Amicus Briefs Committee, and a member of our Amicus Briefs Committee. The History Committee is working through the archive; if you served on a Queen's Bench brief we haven't shelved, write to history@queensbench.org. Shelf last updated July 18, 2026. Our chargeFrom the bylaws
It shall be the duty of the Amicus Briefs Committee to prepare, and disseminate all amicus briefs authorized by the Board of Director[s]. Bylaws, Article VI, Section D.1 · Restated 2024 In practiceWe watch for cases — usually on appeal — where the outcome will land on women in the profession or on the people our members represent, and we tell the Board when one is worth Queen's Bench's name. If the Board authorizes a brief, we write it: research, drafting, the sign-on decisions, and the filing. The work is episodic rather than scheduled. It arrives on a court's calendar, not ours, and then it is intense for a few weeks. What we do
The FVAP DrawerThe Family Violence Appellate Project is California's only nonprofit devoted to representing survivors of domestic violence in civil appeals, free of charge. Standing with FVAP takes more forms than briefs: amicus filings, comments to the Judicial Council and the State Bar, and requests to publish the appellate decisions that protect survivors. Queen's Bench signs. Pull a drawer. One drawer per matter, verified against the courts' own dockets before filing. Our Domestic & Sexual Violence Committee (dsv@queensbench.org) is the front door for the partnership. Who leads this committee
Lacey EstudilloCo-Chair
Appellate Attorney, Horvitz & Levy LLP, San Francisco
Juliane SmithCo-Chair
2026 Treasurer, Queen's Bench
Reach the whole committee at amicus@queensbench.org. It reaches the chairs and the Administrator, so nothing falls through when leadership rotates in January. Good to knowThe Board has the last wordThis committee researches and recommends — it does not set the association's position. Every brief, endorsement, and public statement goes to the Board of Directors for approval before Queen's Bench says anything in its own name. (Bylaws, Art. VI, §D; Art. VII.) You don't have to be on the BoardCommittee chairs and members are drawn from the whole membership, not just the Board — the Executive Committee is the only exception. The President nominates each committee's chair and a majority of the Board approves the selection. Board service, more often than not, grows out of committee work. (Bylaws, Art. VI, §C.) Join this committeeThere's no application and no vetting. Tell us you're interested and we'll bring you in on the next round of work. Come to one meeting before you decide whether it's for you. Committee leadership, programs, and meeting schedules are current as of July 2026 and change from year to year. Corrections and updates: admin@queensbench.org. |