Daughter of farmworkers is now a Fresno County Superior Court judge

Like father, like daughter.

That’s how newly minted Fresno County Superior Court Judge Irene A. Luna began her interest in law.

“I wanted to be a lawyer for as long as I can remember. My father was a lawyer, loved his job, and I wanted to be just like him,” said Luna, who was officially sworn in to her post on Dec. 13. “I never considered another career.”

She starts her work on the bench the first week of January.

“I am excited to start hearing cases. The sooner I take the bench, the sooner I will feel comfortable and confident in my new career,” said Luna.

“I’ve been told that being anxious and nervous, which I am, is to be expected, but shows that I care about doing my job well.”

Luna was appointed to the $223,829-a -ear position by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Nov. 10 to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge W. Kent Hamlin. Luna received a phone call on Nov. 6 from Luis Céspedes, Newsom’s judicial appointments secretary, telling her of the appointment.

She will be in Dept. 204 taking care of family law cases.

Luna, the daughter of farmworkers, learned about hard work through her father, the late Frank Ramírez.

“I learned how hard they worked, and that the key to getting out of a lifetime of fieldwork was through education,” said Luna, who was accompanied to her swearing-in ceremony by her mother, Teresa Ramírez, and a niece.

Her father picked figs along with his parents, two older brothers and two younger sisters in Fresno. “They all contributed to the family household income,” said Luna.

“My grandmother was very good with money, and they eventually saved enough money to buy their own farmland,” she said.

Her father took her out to pick figs on their property several summers before high school, “so I know how hard he worked growing up, and why he was determined to earn good grades and get into college,” said Luna.

“My dad and all of his siblings graduated from college, which is what he expected of me and my sisters,” said Luna, who graduated from Bullard High School and earned a bachelor’s in economics and a minor in organizational sociology from UC Davis.

Luna said her biggest challenge in law school was “the amount of reading that was required.”

“It was very time consuming and I spent about half of my time reading to prepare for class,” she said. “Needless to say, there was so much to learn; but I have always enjoyed reading and learning, and I really enjoyed law school.”

Luna, who earned her law degree from San Joaquín College of Law, called studying for the bar “one of the most stressful times in my life.” She passed on her second attempt.

Luna has spent half of her 14 years in private practice, focusing on injury cases. The last seven years has been focused on criminal defense, primarily representing indigent clients.

Her work with Fitzgerald, Ciummo & Associates since 2014 included serving as assistant chief defense attorney in the San Benito office; and, the same position for the firm’s alternate defense office in Fresno (2018-21).

Luna was a junior partner at Ramírez and Ramírez Law Offices (2011-13), associate at Carty Law Office (2013-14), and associate at Hernández and Ramírez Law Offices, her dad’s firm, (2007-11).

She also was an extra-help defense attorney for the Fresno County Public Defender’s Office (2011-12).

Luna has spent the last seven years in the courtroom and, “I grew to love it, despite my introverted personality.”

“I paid attention to each judicial officer’s style, and always wondered what I would do in their position,” she said. “In time, and after speaking with several judicial officers, I came to realize the qualities of a good judge. These include patience, a good temper, and management skills, all of which I believe I possess.”

Taking the judge post means she has to move from the coast where she started working in May back to Fresno, something she and her husband don’t mind.

“I have always considered Fresno my home, so my appointment just affirmed that the Central Valley is where I am meant to be,” said Luna.

Esta historia fue publicada originalmente el 31 de diciembre de 2021, 0:25 p. m..