One of California’s eight newest judges is the first openly transgender person to be appointed to the bench in the Golden State, officials said. Andi Mudryk, 58, will serve as a judge in Sacramento County Superior Court, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Benjamin Davidian, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said Friday in announcing a batch of judicial appointments and nominations.
“I’m humbled, honored and I’m thrilled,” Mudryk told The Times on Friday. “I’m grateful to Gov. Newsom for creating a vision of California for all.” Mudryk has lived in Sacramento since 2009 and said she feels proud to serve the community. She pledged to use her experiences to ensure that everyone who appears before her is welcome in the court system.
Mudryk said her experiences as a transgender woman, a person with a significant disability, the parent of an adult Black man, and the descendant of Jewish Holocaust survivors spurred a legal career spent advocating for the civil rights of all people. Born with osteogenesis imperfecta, which is commonly known as brittle bone disease, she said she has experienced more than 100 fractures in her life.
Mudryk said she is proud to be transgender, having transitioned in the last four years, and has been accepted and promoted as part of Newsom’s administration. She spent the first half of her legal career in private practice, including nearly 11 years with Disability Rights California, where she served as managing attorney, director of litigation, and deputy director.
She also served as director of litigation and policy advocacy at Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County from 2017 to 2018 and executive director at Disability Rights Advocates in 2017, Newsom’s office said. In 2018, Mudryk joined the California Department of Rehabilitation, becoming its chief counsel until 2020, when she was promoted to be the department’s chief deputy director, her most recent post, according to the governor’s office.
