Profile

Sheila P. Sonenshine

Sonenshine, Sheila P.
2437 Monaco Drive
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Phone: 949-497-9040
Fax: 949-497-4440
sheila@sonenshineenterprises.com

City: Laguna Beach

State Bar of California Admission Date: January 1971

Other Jurisdictions Admission Dates:

  • Federal Courts, January, 1971
  • United States Supreme Court, October, 1980

Education:

  • Loyola Law School J.D. degree, 1967 - 1970; St. Thomas More Law Honor Society
  • University of California, Los Angeles, B.S. degree, Economics, 1964 - 1967
  • Brandeis University, 1963 - 1964

Specialization:

  • Certified Family Law Specialist State Bar of California, 1980

Employment (Current and Past):

  • Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (JAMS), Mediator and Arbitrator, 2009 - present
  • Sonenshine Enterprises/Escher Fund; Founder and Principal, 2005 - 2008
  • RSM EquiCo Co-Founder and Executive Managing Director, 1999 - 2004
  • Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Three, 1982 - 1999
  • Judge, Orange County Superior Court, 1981 - 1982
  • Presiding Judge, Family Law Panel - 1982
  • Gordon, Weinberg, Sonenshine & Zipzer, 1980 - 1981
  • Law Offices of Sheila Prell Sonenshine, 1978 - 1980
  • Irvine University School of Law, Assistant Professor of Law, 1973 - 1974
  • Sonenshine & Armstrong, 1971 - 1978
  • Mattel Toys, Legal Clerk, Legal and Industrial Relations Departments, 1968 - 1970
  • Neighborhood Legal Services, Legal Intern, 1966 - 1968

State Judges' Association Activities:

California Center for Judicial Education and Research (CJER):

  • Chair, 1987
  • Vice Chair, 1985 - 1986
  • Board of Directors, 1984 - 1987

State Bar Activities:

  • Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation, Member, 2010
  • Judicial Council Advisory Committee on Gender Bias, 1987 - 1991
  • State Legislative Committee on Improving Judicial Standards, 1979

Local Bar Activities:

Orange County Bar Association:

  • Gender Bias Committee Co-Founder and Chair, 1992 - 1995
  • Advisory and Client Relations Committees, 1976 - 1981
  • Women and Individual Rights Founder and Chair, 1974
  • California State Bar Convention Delegate / Chair Civil Rights Section, 1974

Professional Memberships:

  • University of California, Irvine Law School Dean's Cabinet, 2008 - present
  • Anti-Defamation League of Orange County and Long Beach Regional Board Member, 2007 - present
  • International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists Member Board of Directors, 1997 - present
  • William P. Gray Legion Lex Inn of Court:
    • Emeritus, 1996 - present
    • Master Bencher, 1993 - 1996
  • Jewish and Contemporary Law Symposium Chair, 1993 - 1994
  • Founder and Chair Sonenshine Pro Bono Reception, 1990 - present
  • Founder and Board Member Orange County Bar Foundation Food and Wine Society, 1990 - present
  • Constitutional Rights Foundation Advisory Board, 1990 - 1999
  • Amicus Publico Legal Services (now Public Law Center) Board of Directors, 1982 - 1990
  • American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 1982 - present
  • Loyola University School of Law Board of Visitors, 1978 - present
  • Loyola University School of Law Chair Orange County Alumni Chapter Chairperson, 1978

Other:

  • Orange County Women's Philanthropy Fund (The Alexis de Tocqueville Society of the United Way) Founding Member, 2003 - present
  • Orange County Performing Arts Center Board of Directors, 1994 - 2009
  • International Women's Forum - The Trusteeship for the Betterment of Women, Inc. (The California Forum), 1987 - present
  • The Webb Schools Board of Governors, 1985 - 1989
  • Angels of the Arts, 1984 - present
  • Newport Harbor Art Museum Board of Trustees, 1979 - 1983
  • Temple Bat Yahm Board of Governors Chairperson, 1979 - 1981
  • Orange County Jewish Federation Council Community Relations Committee, 1977 - 1979
  • Girl Scouts of Orange County Board of Directors, 1977 - 1978
  • California 32nd District Agricultural Association Board of Directors, 1976 - 1980
  • Temple Bat Yahm Sisterhood Founding Member and Secretary, 1975 - 1976
  • Temple Bat Yahm Building Committee Chairperson, 1974 - 1976
  • Marine National Bank Founding Member, Board of Director, 1979 - 1981
  • American City Bank Advisory Board, 1977 - 1979
  • Raygal Design Associates, Inc. Board of Directors, 1973 - 1999
  • United Jewish Appeal of Orange County Co-Chairperson of Attorney Division, 1973
  • Jewish Federation Council of Orange County, 1972 - 1975

Publications:

  • American Bar Association Family Advocate, August 1994, Vol. 17, No. 1, Addressing Bias at the Appellate Level
  • Consultant - California Family Law Practice and Procedure, Second Edition, 1994 - 1999
  • Orange County Lawyer, August 1993, The Gender Equity Committee Goes to the Movies
  • Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, June 1993, Vol. 26, No. 4, Real Lawyers Settle: A Successful Post-Trial Settlement Program in the California Court of Appeal
  • Consultant - Editorial Board and Bi-Monthly Contributor of California Family Law Monthly, a publication of Matthew Bender & Company, Inc., July 1991 - 1993
  • California Litigation "Discovery," Vol. 3, No. 1, Fall 1989, pp. 10-15, A Rose by Any Other Name: Appellate Settlement Conferences
  • Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, Summer 1987, Gender Bias In The Courts
  • Orange County Bar Journal, Vol. I, No. 4. Women in the Law (Or -- What you Always Wanted to Know About the Bar, But Never Thought to Ask)
  • New Dawn Magazine Contributing Author, 1977

Awards:

  • Orange County Bar Foundation Robert Samuel Barnes Award, 2006
  • Legal Aid Society of Orange County Recognition Award, 1998
  • American Bar Association Family Law Section Service to Family Law Award, 1997
  • Orange County Bar Association Franklin G. West Award, 1996
  • Public Law Center Community Service Award, 1994
  • American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Family Law Person of the Year, 1993
  • Loyola University School of Law Alumna of the Year November, 1991
  • State Bar of California Family Law Section Jurist of the Year September, 1991
  • Orange County Bar Association Family Law Section Award for Outstanding Contributions to Family Law, 1990
  • Orange County Women Lawyers Outstanding Judge of the Year, 1988
  • Jewish National Fund Woman of Valor, 2006
  • Chadwick School Distinguished Alumna of the Year, 2006
  • Anti Defamation League Marcus Kaufman Jurisprudence Award, 2004
  • Human Options Battered Women Shelter Dove Award, 2003
  • American Red Cross Elizabeth Dole Glass Ceiling Award, 1998
  • Temple Bat Yahm Elie Wiesel Award for Jewish Ideals and Human Dignity, 1997
  • Temple Bat Yahm Sisterhood Community Service Woman of the Year, 1995
  • Human Options Battered Women Shelter Dove Award, 2003
  • American Red Cross Elizabeth Dole Glass Ceiling Award, 1998
  • Temple Bat Yahm Elie Wiesel Award for Jewish Ideals and Human Dignity, 1997
  • Temple Bat Yahm Sisterhood Community Service Woman of the Year, 1995
  • Business and Professional Women Woman of Achievement, 1986
  • YWCA Accomplishments in Law, 1984
  • Women's Network Alert First Annual Suffrage Day Honoree, 1981
  • Listed in International Who's Who in American Law; Who's Who of American Women; International Who's Who in Community Service and Community Leaders & Noteworthy Americans
  • Jewish National Fund Woman of Valor, 2006
  • Chadwick School Distinguished Alumna of the Year, 2006
  • Anti Defamation League Marcus Kaufman Jurisprudence Award, 2004