When asked if a particular person or event prompted his decision to go to law school, newly appointed Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Allen Sumner admits there was none. "I did not have any legal connections with lawyers when growing up." Instead, it was his experience as a student of history and political science at UC Davis that served as the catalyst to his future career. "I was interested in how to resolve questions of public policy and how they relate to people and relationships; how society sets policy and enforces it." So when presented with the opportunity to work during his last semester of law school as an intern for the Legislative Secretary to then-Governor Edmund G. "Jerry"Brown, Jr., he did not hesitate. The opportunity proved to be a classroom like no other. There, he had first hand exposure to society's attempts to correct inequities and injustices and to improve the lives of Californians. Understandably, it was an experience any law student would treasure. But rather than serve as a climax to a very successful law school experience, it proved to be the launching point to an impressive career of public service.

Judge Allen Sumner, left, at the Bench-Bar Reception in June with Pat Hart Jorgensen and Judge Robert Hight.

Judge Sumner returned to the Governor's Office after the bar exam, just in time for the end of the Legislative session. He helped staff prepare recommendations for the avalanche of bills forwarded for Governor Brown's signature. "We had a bunch of criminal justice and sentencing laws coming up that changed the laws from indeterminate sentences to determinate sentences," he recalled. Once he received his bar results, Judge Sumner was able to transition to a deputy position for the Legal Affairs Secretary, Anthony Kline, where he worked on a variety of issues, including some legislation.

For the next seven years, Judge Sumner developed his analytical and writing skills. It was an era when political giants like Ken Maddy, Willie Brown, Nick Petris and Leo McCarthy wandered the halls of the Capitol. Judge Sumner recalls them as "bright government officials who addressed questions of public policy. They provided sensible approaches in a professional and courteous manner. I learned so much watching their approaches to analyzing issues." As to his impression of the former Governor, "Jerry Brown is just so bright and talented. He has an incredible ability to analyze issues and articulate policy. He is a great writer, with such a good use of language."

Following the change in administration, Judge Sumner joined the Attorney General's Office where he headed Attorney General Van De Kamp's legislative program. He recalls the period as a unique time in which the Office of the Attorney General was very active legislatively and viewed as non-partisan. "Our legislative programs were also successful in part because [Governor] Deukmejian had been A.G. before, so he was easy to work with." Judge Steve White recalls Judge Sumner as having "one of the best minds for legislative matters. He had the chessboard view of legislative functions and was able to see the big picture effect of legislation."

During his first 15 years of practicing law, Judge Sumner made political connections, learned the history behind legislation and garnered respect for his talent and his experience. But with the arrival of Dan Lungren as Attorney General, Judge Sumner's position as head of the legislative program came to an end. After more than a decade of experience in legislative issues, it would have been no surprise had Judge Sumner chosen to pursue a position with the Legislature or as a consultant. But Judge Sumner took this as an opportunity to broaden his experiences. He enrolled in a trial advocacy course at Hastings College of the Law and took on some criminal cases for the District Attorney's Office. With some misdemeanor and felony cases under his belt, Judge Sumner made the transition to the Government Section of the Civil Division at the Attorney General's Office. There, he represented the state, the Attorney General and various constitutional officers in a variety of litigation matters.

In 1999, Judge Sumner was appointed by Governor Gray Davis, former Chief-of-Staff to Governor Jerry Brown, to serve as General Counsel for the California State and Consumer Services Agency. In August of 2000, he was called upon once again to join the Legal Affairs Secretary at the Governor's Office. Judge Sumner served as a Senior Deputy and then Chief Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary until his appointment to the bench in November 2003.

Before joining the bench, Judge Sumner was known to describe his work as "pushing paper" and himself as "just a government lawyer." It would be easy to assume that this reflected a jaded individual with no interest in his work or in the issues before him. But nothing could be further from the truth. Those who know Judge Sumner and have had the pleasure to work with him attest to the legacy of hard work, insightful comments and genuine dedication he has exhibited. "If something needed to be addressed immediately, he was the one you want[ed] working on a project," recalled Judge Steve White.

In his short time on the bench, Judge Sumner has already garnered respect from prosecutors as well as defense attorneys. With regard to the cross examination of the victim in a sensitive child abuse case, Jesse Ortiz of Biegler, Ortiz & Chan found Judge Sumner to be very patient and clear as to "what he would accept and what he would not." Although he did not always agree with the judge, Ortiz was confident Judge Sumner carefully reviewed the law and issued reasoned rulings that were fair.

Another local defense attorney who preferred not to be named was impressed by the speed and ease with which Judge Sumner not only became familiar with the case file, but also conducted electronic research. Kelly Clark of the Sacramento District Attorney's Office found that Judge Sumner "listens and considers everything" and is "genuinely interested in the law."

Even before he joined the bench, Judge Sumner was known as someone that sought to understand not only the terms of the law, but also the rationale behind it for application to his assignments. A former co-worker, Deputy Attorney General Irene Tamura, recalls Judge Sumner as someone with "real world perspective who was willing to take on hard situations."

It would be easy to assume that someone with so many legal accomplishments would be self- absorbed. But Judge Sumner's friends and former co-workers speak of a dedicated worker that took the time to get to know his colleagues. His former legal secretary, Shinita Bryson, finds Judge Sumner to be a genuinely caring individual that served as a mentor. "He would ask you your goals and help you figure out how to get there." Judge Sumner exhibits a warm and pleasant demeanor both on and off the bench. Those that appear before him find him to be courteous, patient and professional. In a day when headlines regularly tell of politicians and employers with hair-trigger tempers and inflated egos, it is encouraging to hear former and present co-workers speak so highly of Judge Sumner.

September / October 2004