On November 13, 2020, SJI Board Member Hernan D. Vera was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.  Vera has been a Principal at Bird Marella since 2015, where he focuses his practice on complex civil litigation and class action defense.  He also counsels and advises clients on risk management in public matters where a problem-solving, community approach is essential to the success of the litigation.  He previously served as President & Chief Executive Officer of Public Counsel, the nation’s largest pro bono, public interest law firm.  He was the first Latino leader of the 40-year-old civil rights organization, which is based in Los Angeles.  Mr. Vera was a commercial litigator with the international firm of O’Melveny & Myers LLP, where he specialized in class actions.  Mr. Vera has also worked as an Education Staff Attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund and clerked for the Honorable Consuelo B. Marshall, U.S. District Court Judge for the Central District of California.  He was appointed to the SJI Board of Directors in 2010.  He received an A.B., with Distinction, from Stanford University, and his J.D. from the UCLA School of Law.