The Faces of Justice: AAPI State Supreme Court Judges

Welcome to The Faces of Justice report, a series that will explore the professional and personal diversity of our state courts by uplifting state court judges of various personal and professional backgrounds. Each report belongs to the Faces of Justice series, but is meant to serve as a standalone report that will examine the representation of the community it features. This report highlights the presence of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) justices on nine state supreme court benches across the nation, exploring the backgrounds of the AAPI justices who serve or have served on each of these state supreme courts.

Only nine states (18%) have had an AAPI justice on their state’s supreme court (HI, CA, MA, WA, OR, IA, GA, VT, NV), while 41 states (82%) have never had an AAPI justice serve on their supreme court bench.

Historically, AAPI individuals were excluded from many aspects of American society...

This exclusion has led to a continued underrepresentation of AAPI people in government positions, particularly within the state and federal judiciaries. The ongoing lack of diversity perpetuates a history of disparity and fails to reflect the rich, multicultural fabric of our society. This report serves as a call to action to address the longstanding gaps in representation and to ensure that the judiciary reflects the communities it serves.

Read the full report