Don Willenburg, partner and chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group, has been re-appointed to the Information Technology Advisory Committee, reporting to California’s Judicial Council. The Council is the governing body for the judicial branch. The committee, established by the California Rules of Court. makes recommendations to the council for improving the administration of justice through the use of technology. It also promoted, coordinates, and sponsors projects and initiatives that apply technology to the work of the courts.
Chief Justice of California and Chair of the Judicial Council Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye writes, “I am grateful you have agreed to serve another year. This will allow the Judicial Council’s advisory bodies to maintain continuity and leadership for addressing critical judicial branch policy issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the administration of justice.” Read the Judicial Council of California’s reappointment letter here.
Willenburg has worked on this committee for 10 years and has been involved in statutory and rule changes to enable and encourage e-filing, privacy guidelines for court use of information stored electronically, issues related to remote appearances, and use of remote interpreters; and the use of technology to assist self-represented litigants. He is currently working on the Judicial Branch’s Tactical Plan for Technology, 2021-2022.
This appointment is effective September 15, 2020 through September 14, 2022. Willenburg is the sole attorney representative on the committee comprised primarily of judges, justices and court technical or executive staff. He was appointed by the State Bar of California.
Willenburg is chair of the firm's national Appellate Practice Group. Described as an “appellate luminary” by the journal California Litigation, he is past chair of the Appellate Practice Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco, and for the last decade-plus has chaired the amicus briefs committee of the Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California and Nevada working to advance causes important to the defense community. He serves as editor of the firm's blog Environmental and Toxic Tort Defense Insight.