2013 STARS Hall of Fame

Justice Goodwin Liu

Associate Justice, California Supreme Court
Rio Americano HS

Justice Goodwin Liu has served on the California Supreme Court since 2011, following a distinguished career in law, public service, and education. A proud graduate of Rio Americano High School, Justice Liu is the son of Taiwanese immigrants and a lifelong advocate for equity, opportunity, and constitutional values.

Before his appointment, he was a law professor and Associate Dean at UC Berkeley School of Law, where he received the university’s Distinguished Teaching Award. He previously clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and worked in the U.S. Department of Education and at O’Melveny & Myers.

Justice Liu earned his biology degree from Stanford University, studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, and received his law degree from Yale. His scholarship and leadership have shaped education and civil rights policy nationwide. He serves on Stanford’s Board of Trustees and continues to mentor and inspire future generations of public servants.

He lives in California with his wife Ann O’Leary and their two children.