Judge James L. Long: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

The Hon. James L. Long (deceased) served as a judge for the Sacramento County Superior Court in California. Long was appointed to the bench by former Governor Jerry Brown in 1982. He retired in 2011.

Long earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from San Jose State University. He then completed a J.D. at Howard University School of Law in 1967.

After graduating from law school, Long began his legal career as a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Sacramento and the California State Legislative Counsel Bureau. He also spent time as a special legal counsel for the NAACP Western Region before opening his own private practice as a sole practitioner. He is remembered for representing the Black Panthers in the Oak Park Four case, which earned him the title of the People’s Lawyer.

His memberships have included the Roseville Chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and the Wiley W. Manuel Bar Association.

He was a recipient of the Nathaniel S. Colley, Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wiley Manuel Bar Association (2014), and he was named Judge of the Year by the Sacramento County Bar Association (1998).

Long was born in Winter Garden, Florida, as the son of an airplane painter for the United States Air Force. His family then moved to Sacramento, where they settled in the Oak Park area. He attended Christian Brothers High School. Then, in 1961, he enlisted in the United States Army Reserve Corps, obtaining the rank of Second Lieutenant by the time he was honorably discharged.

He passed away on June 30, 2020.