California, Davis, USA: Indian American judge Shama Mesiwala is set to deliver the keynote address at the UC Davis School of Law Class of 2026 commencement ceremony scheduled for May 9.
Justice Mesiwala currently serves as an associate judge on the California Court of Appeals Third Appellate District. She was unanimously confirmed to the bench in 2023 following six years of distinguished service at the Sacramento County Superior Court.
Early in her career, Mesiwala represented indigent defendants at the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Sacramento and later worked with the Central California Appellate Program. In these roles, she argued cases before the California Supreme Court and various state appellate courts.
Her judicial career also includes serving as a central staff attorney and chambers attorney to Justice Ronald B. Robie. In 2017, she was appointed commissioner of the Sacramento County Superior Court and was elevated to a judgeship within a year.
During her tenure on the trial court, she presided over a wide range of cases, including criminal and civil trials, juvenile dependency matters, and mental health proceedings. Notably, she established Northern California’s first courtroom dedicated to the Indian Child Welfare Act and served as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) judge at the Hall of Justice.
In addition to her judicial responsibilities, Mesiwala has been actively involved in legal education. She has taught Appellate Advocacy at UC Davis School of Law for over 13 years, mentoring more than 900 students.
She is also a co-founder of the South Asian Bar Association of Sacramento and has led its Diversity Law Student Reception for nearly two decades. Furthermore, she contributes to the California Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions.
Her contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including the Unity Bar Community Service Award, the Frances Newell Carr Award, the Judge of the Year Award by the King Hall Legal Foundation, and recognition as a Top 25 Asian American/Pacific Islander Change Maker by The Sacramento Bee.
Born in Stanford and raised in Cupertino, California, Mesiwala is the daughter of an immigrant from Mumbai, India. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of California San Diego and earned her law degree from UC Davis School of Law in 1998.
The commencement ceremony will take place at the Mondavi Center, where UC Davis Chancellor Gary May will confer degrees. Jessica Berg will serve as emcee, and Professor Aaron Tang will deliver the faculty address.
