Judge Christine Van Aken: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

The Hon. Christine Van Aken is a judge for the Superior Court of San Francisco County in California. She was appointed by former Governor Jerry Brown on July 20, 2018, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Nancy L. Davis.

Van Aken earned a B.A. from Harvard University. She then received a J.D. from New York University School of Law.

She began her legal career as a law clerk for the Hon. Pierre N. Leval of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She then joined Arnold and Porter as an associate, where she worked for one year before accepting a clerkship with the Hon. David Souter of the United States Supreme Court.

Van Aken joined the Office of the City Attorney of San Francisco in 2006. She entered as a deputy city attorney, eventually becoming chief of appellate litigation in 2012. During her tenure there, she has participated in cases concerning marriage equality, presidential overreach, and municipal gun laws.