Raymond L. Sullivan

Raymond Lawrence Sullivan (January 23, 1907 – October 20, 1999)[1] was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of California from December 20, 1966, to January 19, 1977.

For other people named Raymond Sullivan, see Raymond Sullivan (disambiguation).
Raymond L. Sullivan
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California
In office
December 20, 1966 – January 19, 1977
Appointed byGovernor Pat Brown
Preceded byPaul Peek
Succeeded byWiley W. Manuel
Presiding Justice of the California Courts of Appeal, First District
In office
1964 – December 19, 1966
Associate Justice of the California Courts of Appeal, First District
In office
1961–1964
Personal details
Born(1907-01-23)January 23, 1907
San Francisco, California, U.S.
DiedOctober 20, 1999(1999-10-20) (aged 92)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
SpouseWinifred F. Carreras
Alma materUniversity of San Francisco (BA, JD, LLM)

Biography

Born in San Francisco, California, the son of Frank Harrold Sullivan (1887-1948) and Florence Mary Smith (1881-1942), Raymond attended public schools until 1920, and graduated from St. Ignatius High School in 1924.[2] He was educated at St. Ignatius College, which in 1930 was renamed the University of San Francisco, receiving his A.B. magna cum laude in 1928. He continued his studies and was awarded his J.D. in 1930, graduating first in his class, and LL.M. in 1933.[3][4]

After graduation, Sullivan entered private practice by forming the firm of Malone and Sullivan, where he worked for the next 28 years. His law partner, William M. Malone, was also Chairman of the Democratic Party in California during much of the Roosevelt and Truman administrations.

Sullivan was named Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division One, 1961 – 1964, and was then the Presiding Justice from 1964 to 1966.[5][6] On December 20, 1966, Sullivan was appointed by Governor Pat Brown the 88th justice of the Supreme Court, succeeding Justice Paul Peek, who retired.[7][8]

Among Sullivan's notable cases are Serrano v. Priest (1971),[9] in which he addressed the inequality of public school financing.[10] He authored the opinion in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975)[11] that abolished the "contributory negligence" rule and replaced it with the "comparative negligence" rule, making it easier for injured people to collect compensation. He also wrote the court's opinion in Castro v. State (1970),[12] which struck down a provision of the California Constitution that disenfranchised citizens who were literate in Spanish but not in the English language.[13]

After stepping down from the bench on January 19, 1977, Sullivan taught for 15 years at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, retiring in 1993.[7][14]

Honors and awards

In 1975, the California Trial Lawyers Association named him appellate judge of the year.[15] The University of San Francisco bestowed on Sullivan an honorary LL.D. and the St. Thomas More Award. In 1998, the Alumni Association of the Law School presented him with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. The chair, Hon. Raymond L. Sullivan Professor of Law, at the UC Hastings College of Law is endowed in his honor.[16][17]

Personal life

Sullivan married Winifred F. Carreras (April 24, 1911 – April 14, 1997), a school teacher, and they had five children.[18][19]

References
  1. "Justice Raymond L. Sullivan". Robert Crown Law Library, Stanford Law School. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  2. "Past Recipients of Christ the King Award". St. Ignatius College Prep. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  3. "Alumni: Service: 5 state Supreme Court Justices". University of San Franciscso. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  4. "Entry for Raymond Lawrence Sullivan (deceased)". California Bar Association. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  5. "List of Past and Present Justices". California Courts of Appeal. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  6. "Retired High Court Justice Dies". Los Angeles Times. October 22, 1999. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  7. "Obituary: Raymond Sullivan". San Francisco Chronicle. October 22, 1999. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  8. Braitman, Jacqueline R.; Uelmen, Gerald F. (2012). Justice Stanley Mosk: A Life at the Center of California Politics and Justice. McFarland. p. 137. ISBN 9780786468416. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  9. Serrano v. Priest (1971) 5 Cal. 3d 584, 619.
  10. Cohen, Marsha N. (1994). "Summaries of Justice Raymond L. Sullivan's Majority Opinions on the Supreme Court of California". Hastings L.J. 46: 295. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  11. Li v. Yellow Cab Co., 13 Cal.3d 804, 532 P.2d 1226 (1975).
  12. Castro v. State, 2 Cal. 3d 224, 466 P.2d 244 (1970).
  13. Zuckerman, Michael A. (2009). "Constitutional Clash: When English-Only Meets Voting Rights". Yale Law & Policy Review. 28 (2): 357. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  14. "Hastings Community". Hastings Alumni Publications. San Francisco, CA: Hastings College of the Law Alumni Association. 81: 24. Fall 1992. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  15. "Law Briefs". San Diego Source. January 2, 1999. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  16. "Marsha Cohen, The Honorable Raymond L. Sullivan Professor of Law". UC Hastings College of Law. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  17. McDevitt, Ray, ed. (2001). Courthouses of California: an illustrated history. Heyday Press. p. vii. ISBN 9781890771492. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  18. "Remarks of Hon. Anna G. Eshoo: Tribute to Sheila (Sullivan) Peterson". Congressional Record (Bound Volumes): Volume 150, Part 19. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. 150 (19): 25748. December 7, 2004. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  19. "Obituary: Sheila Mary Sullivan Peterson". San Francisco Chronicle. Legacy.com. May 25, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2017.

Sources

See also
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