Overview
The Hon. Richard C. Miadich is a judge for the Sacramento County Superior Court in California. Miadich was appointed to the bench by Governor Gavin Newsom on January 29, 2024, filling the vacancy created by the elevation of Daniel J. Calabretta to the federal bench[1].
Educational background
Miadich earned a B.A. in political science and history from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1998. At the University of California, Davis School of Law, he completed a J.D. in 2002. While in law school, he was a member of the UC Davis Law Review, participated in the trial practice program, and externed with the California State Assembly Judiciary Committee[2]. He was admitted to the State Bar of California (2003)[2].
Career history
After graduating from law school, Miadich began his legal career as an associate at Walsworth Franklin Bevins & McCall LLP (2003 to 2005). He then joined Olson Hagel & Fishburn LLP (2005 to 2018). At that firm, he served as an associate before becoming a partner in 2011 and managing partner in 2016[2]. His practice focused on election and campaign finance law, education law, government and administrative law, and constitutional law[2]. He also advised on elections and initiatives[2]. During that period, Miadich co-authored Proposition 64, the 2016 ballot initiative that legalized recreational marijuana in California[2]. He also litigated a case before the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit that struck down restrictive Illinois ballot-access laws[2].
In 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Miadich chair of the California Fair Political Practices Commission, the state agency responsible for regulating campaign finance, governmental ethics, and lobbying[3]. He led the commission until 2024.
His professional memberships included the American Bar Association, the Sacramento County Bar Association, and the California Political Attorneys Association. In bar leadership, Miadich served as an at-large director on the Sacramento County Bar Association Board of Directors and as president of the Sacramento County Bar Foundation[2]. He also served on the executive committee of the State Bar of California's Public Law Section and as assistant editor of the section's Public Law Journal[2].
Personal life
Miadich is registered as a Democrat.
References
[1] Daily Journal — Newsom Appoints 16 New Judges to Superior Courts
[2] Daily Journal PDF Profile
[3] California Fair Political Practices Commission News Release — New Chair
