Making History, Oona Mallett Becomes the First Female Managing Attorney at the Third District Court of Appeal

FEATURE ARTICLE

Making History, Oona Mallett Becomes the First Female Managing Attorney at the Third District Court of Appeal

By Justice Elena J. Duarte and Tim Schooley

Hon. Elena J. Duarte is an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District. Tim Schooley is the recently retired managing attorney of the Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District.

Oona Mallett. Photos courtesy of Tim Schooley

At the end of last year, Oona Mallett was promoted to managing attorney of the Court of Appeal for the Third Appellate District, becoming the first woman to serve in that position in the court’s history. With appeals coming to the Third District from twenty-three counties, the court has the highest incoming appellate caseload in the state, and it continues to increase as the populations of Sacramento County and other northern California counties continue to grow. And, as the court’s docket has grown, the number of central staff attorneys has also increased, and the job of the managing attorney has become increasingly complex.

In her new role, Oona takes her place on the Third District’s management team. According to the Clerk/Executive Officer of the Third District, Andrea Rohmann: “It’s a proud time to be a woman in the court and part of the Third District Court of Appeal’s first all-female management team, to include the Managing Attorney, Clerk Executive Officer, and Assistant Clerk Executive Officer. I look forward to the day when this isn’t considered a monumental moment and instead just common practice. But today we should give pause and recognition as we continue to chip away at the gender gap.”

At age 40, Oona is already a veteran at the Third District, having worked in every attorney position at the court. While a student at McGeorge School of Law, Oona worked as an extern for retired Associate Justice Kathleen Butz. “Oona served as my chambers extern for the Fall Semester 2008,” says Justice Butz. “During her semester, she prepared memorandum opinions in both criminal and civil cases. It was clear she understood appellate review, was a thorough researcher, and could write clearly and concisely, regardless of the difficulty of the legal issue.”

After graduating from law school in 2009, Oona took a position as an associate attorney at the Kroloff firm in Stockton. There, Oona did both transactional work regarding corporate formation and real property planning, and civil litigation

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In 2014, Oona was eager to return to the Third District and applied for an open staff attorney position. She was hired onto the court’s central staff, where she worked for all eleven justices preparing preliminary draft opinions in criminal appeals. But when a vacancy came open on Justice Butz’s staff, the justice quickly recruited Oona as one of her two chambers attorneys. In that role, Oona helped draft opinions in both civil and criminal appeals, working with Justice Butz on nearly one hundred appellate court opinions.

Justice Butz explains that she and Oona formed a great working bond the semester when she worked for • Business & Commercial her as an extern. “So, when she applied to return to the court some • Real Estate five years later as a central staff • Partnership & attorney, I was delighted. After Shareholder Disputesher hiring, I was fortunate to have her start as my chambers attorney, • Construction Defects where she was hugely talented and efficient, and very effective as a su• Complex Civil Litigation pervisor/mentor for my student externs. She also served on several internal court committees, always providing trusted and valuable input.”

Oona’s stellar work on the court’s central staff and in Justice State Commissioner of Corporations - Three years Butz’s chambers was recognized by the justices at the court. When a position came open on the court’s Employment & Labor writ attorney staff, in 2018, Oona was a natural fit for the team. The court’s writ attorneys handle some of the court’s most time-sensitive and complex applications, includ- Judge Brian R. Van Camp, Ret. ing petitions for writs of mandate, Office: (916) 515-8442 Cell: (916) 425-1469prohibition, and habeas corpus. In addition to helping the justices re- 2443 Fair Oaks Blvd. #397 • Sacramento, CA 95825 solve writ petitions, Oona also began to provide backup support for brvc@vancampadr.com the court’s managing attorney.

Again, Justice Butz: “Oona sought my opinion about moving from chambers work to a position as a writ attorney with the court. I was sad to lose her contribution to the smooth running of my chambers but understood her value to the court and wished her well as she learned the work of the writ staff. I had no doubt where she was headed. She is competent, hardworking, collegial, and a true leader. These qualities will serve her well as the court’s newest and first woman managing attorney. I am very proud of her!” When her predecessor retired as managing attorney at the end of 2021, Oona was the obvious choice for the position. According to the court’s Administrative Presiding Justice, Vance Raye: “In my 30+ years with the court, the Third District has been blessed with outstanding managing attorneys. I am confident that Oona Mallett will continue in that tradition. She is a remarkable legal talent who dis-

played her intellectual acumen early in her career with the court. She has been exposed to a wide variety of legal issues while serving as an attorney in chambers and on the court’s writs staff. She handles complexity with ease and is not fazed by even the toughest legal conundrums. And yet she recognizes the talents in others and is not reluctant to tap into those talents when needed to resolve issues. She shares her best with others and brings out the best in them. She works well with people. She will make an excellent managing attorney. Her relative youth will help to ensure that her gifts to the court will endure for many years. We are fortunate to have her.”

Oona, a single mother of an adopted son, was born and raised in Sacramento. After graduating from McClatchy High School, she obtained two bachelor’s degrees from the University of the Pacific, one in Spanish, the other in Global Economic Relations. Oona then continued her education at UC Davis, earning a master’s degree in Spanish with an emphasis in Linguistics. Interested in the history of the evolution of the Spanish language from its Latin roots, Oona thought of a career as a Spanish professor. But she found herself increasingly drawn to the law. Her desire to find answers to legal questions led her to law school and eventually to the Third District.

As mentioned, the position that Oona has now assumed includes a large number and variety of responsibilities that have become increasingly complex as the Third District grows. As the court’s managing attorney, she supervises the work of nearly twenty attorneys on the court’s central staff, with that number projected to grow to as many as twenty-two during the coming year. In addition, Oona evaluates each appeal for its complexity, deciding which appeals are first assigned to central staff for evaluation and which go directly to the justices’ chambers. Her work includes supervising other employees on the court’s central staff and in its library, and the employees who staff the court’s appellate mediation program. She also handles daily legal and procedural questions from the court’s clerks regarding the processing of appeals, including advising regarding the appealability of orders and judgments. And she works with the court’s clerk/executive officer regarding policy issues and provides advice upon request to the administrative presiding justice.

When asked for comment, Oona says she is delighted to have the opportunity to help manage the Third District. She looks forward to many years at the court in her new job. And the court looks forward to many years with Oona as a key component of its management team.

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