Judge Clare Keithley: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

Overview

The Hon. Clare Keithley is a judge for the Butte County Superior Court in California[1]. Keithley was appointed to the bench by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on July 21, 2008[2].

While on the bench, her assignments have included juvenile matters and family law[3]. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Keithley served as presiding judge of the Butte County Superior Court[4].

Educational background

Keithley earned a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. At the University of San Diego School of Law, she completed a J.D. in 1992[2]. She was admitted to the State Bar of California (April 1993).

Career history

After law school, Keithley began her legal career as an associate in private practice in San Diego County, California (1993 to 1995). At that firm, she represented plaintiffs in class-action litigation involving breast implants. In 1995, Keithley joined the Butte County District Attorney's Office as a deputy district attorney, a role she held until 2004. Her caseload there included narcotics, child endangerment, and gang-related prosecutions. She also helped develop protocols used by law enforcement agencies to remove children from drug-infested homes. In 2004, Keithley moved to the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office, where she served as a deputy district attorney until 2006. She returned to the Butte County District Attorney's Office in 2006 and worked in its gang-prosecution unit until 2008.

Her professional service has included membership on the Commission on the Future of California's Court System in 2017 and the Work Group on Homelessness in 2020[3]. In 2020, Keithley also served on the Pandemic Continuity of Operations Working Group[5].

Personal life

Raised in Chico, California, Keithley is the daughter of George Keithley, who was a poet and professor at California State University, Chico.

Keithley is registered as a Democrat.

References

[1] California Courts — Judges Roster
[2] Ballotpedia — Clare Keithley
[3] Daily Journal — Judicial Profile of Clare Keithley
[4] Butte County Superior Court News Release (June 12, 2020)
[5] California Courts — COVID-19 Continuity Working Group Resource Guide