Joan Dempsey Klein: Former Justice, Women's Rights Legend Dies

SANTA MONICA, CA — Trailblazing former presiding California appellate court judge and celebrated defender of women's rights, Joan Dempsey Klein, 96, died in Santa Monica on Christmas Eve, according to multiple reports.

Klein, a fifth-generation Californian and Santa Monica local, left her mark on history as the first woman to become presiding justice of a state appellate court. She served on the Division 3 of the 2nd District Court of Appeal from 1978 until her retirement in 2014 when she was 90.

"[She] had a profound impact on the judiciary and on women in the legal profession," members of the National Association of Women Judges wrote in a tribute to the late judge on Dec. 30.

Klein served for half a century as a judge in California and fought for women's rights for decades — advocating for their right to open bank accounts and to buy stocks.

Klein co-founded and became the first president of the National Association of Women's Judges in 1979 to address gender bias and discrimination experienced by female judges.

She was described as "kind and encouraging" by the women of the association.

"Due to her vision and advocacy, the face of the judiciary has changed," the tribute reads. "Justice Klein was a mentor and inspiration to women and diverse members of the legal community."

Klein earned her bachelor's degree from San Diego State and was the first graduate of UCLA Law School to become a judge after Gov. Pat Brown appointed her to the Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1963, the year she married her second husband, Conrad Klein, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The well respected judge was known to give inspirational speeches to aspiring female justices and use her influence to help other women acheive success in the judiciary realm.

In 1981, Klein testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to back Sandra Day O'Connor's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, according to multiple reports.

“[A]s timely as we consider this appointment to be, and as eager as we are to have such an appointment become a reality, we are emphatic that the woman selected be of the highest caliber," Klein told the Senate committee, according tothe Metropolitan News-Enterprise. "By virtue of the fact that so many of us have been the ‘first woman judge’ or the ‘only woman judge’ in any number of situations, we are keenly aware of the spotlight focused on our every act, and the scrutiny to which we are continually subjected."

Klein is survived by her five children and LA County Superior Court Judge Marc Dempsey Gross, Susan Bruin, Brad Gross and Amy Millard, the Los Angeles Times reported. She has eight grandchildren and two are lawyers.