Hon. Catherine J. Swysen is a judge for the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court in California. She was appointed to the bench by Governor Gavin Newsom on January 31, 2023, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Ginger E. Garrett (Ret.).
Prior to her appointment, Swysen was a managing partner at Sanger, Swysen & Dunkle since 1997. She began there as a law clerk in 1992 before becoming an associate two years later. In private practice, she handled criminal, death penalty, appellate, civil, and administrative matters.
Swysen received a bachelor’s degree in history from the Université libre de Bruxelles in 1984. She went on to complete a J.D. at Santa Barbara College of Law in 1994.
Swysen was admitted to practice in California (1994), the United States District Court for the Northern District of California (1995), the United States District Court for the Central District of California (1995), the United States Superior Court (2001), and the United States District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of California (1994).
Her memberships include the Santa Barbara Defenders, the Santa Barbara Women Lawyers, the Barrister’s Club, the Federal Bar Association (Central Coast Chapter), the Santa Barbara Criminal Defense Association, and the Santa Barbara County Bar Association (past president). Swysen was also a president of the Fund for Refugee Initiatives and a member of the Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law Board of Trustees.
She received the Justice R.W. Abbe Humanitarian Award from the Santa Barbara County Bar Association (2009), the Beulah W. Englesberg Award from the American Civil Liberties Union (1991), and the Attorney of the Year Award from the Santa Barbara Women Lawyers.
Swysen is fluent in French.
She is registered as a Democrat.