GROWING UP IN Santa Ana, Maurice Sanchez recalled his mother encouraging her youngest of four children to become either an accountant, an attorney or a priest.
Sanchez — a product of Orange County Catholic schools — chose law as a career, honoring his mother’s wishes.
In fact, not only did Sanchez choose law, but he also made history in the process.
JUDGE MAURICE SANCHEZ GRADUATED FROM MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL IN 1974. PHOTOS BY STEVE GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
In January 2022, Sanchez was unanimously confirmed as associate justice of California’s 4th District Court of Appeal, Division three, becoming the first Latino and first person of color to serve on the appellate court bench in Orange County in its 40 years of existence.
Governor Gavin Newsom nominated Sanchez for the position three months earlier.
The Judicial Nominees Evaluation Commission on Judicial Appointments voted unanimously to confirm his appointment, rating Sanchez as “exceptionally well qualified,” the commission’s highest rating.
JUDGE MAURICE SANCHEZ IS PICTURED INSIDE THE SANTA ANA COURTHOUSE ON AUG. 12.
“A lot of pride, a lot of pride,” Sanchez said of his appointment. “I’ve spoken at high school commencements. I’ve spoken at a UC Irvine commencement, and they always introduce me like that. We have (Latino) representation on the bench, and that’s an important thing. And it gives a lot of credibility and hope and inspiration for younger children and on up.”
The child of Mexican immigrants, Sanchez was born in the city of Orange and attended Our Lady of the Pillar School in Santa Ana, which is no longer in operation.
Sanchez was only 8 years old when his father died, and his mother struggled to earn enough money to be able to send her son to Mater Dei Catholic High School.
“She thought education was the most important thing,” Sanchez said. “And she encouraged us to do well in school and pursue education as far as we could. So, all of my siblings and I owe that to her.” Sanchez graduated from Mater Dei in 1974 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts Degree from UC Irvine in 1978.
He earned his Juris Doctorate from UC Berkeley in 1981 and spent the next 37 years working in private practice for prestigious law firms and as an in-house attorney for a large corporation.
In 1993, Sanchez went into practice with a start-up law firm that became known as Alvarado, Smith & Sanchez, which become the largest Latino-owned law firm in Southern California.
Sanchez’s wife, Teri, has been alongside her husband throughout his career. The high school sweethearts have been married since 1980 and have three children. They are both active in their Orange County parish.
Sanchez submitted his judicial application in 2018 and was appointed by then Governor Jerry Brown to the
Orange County Superior Court that same year.
The justice served on the Family Law panel for three years, an appointment that is sometimes considered a steppingstone for new judges before receiving a higher-profile appointment.
But Sanchez relished his time on the Family Law panel and was told early on by a colleague on the Family Law bench that the appointment is ideal for a practicing Catholic.
“He said, ‘You know, you can do a lot of good. You can try to help children,’” Sanchez said. “’Sometimes parents need a little help figuring things out. And you can help them in that way. And if that’s your mindset, you can do a lot of good. That’s something that a Catholic should want to do.”
Sanchez said he embraced his deeply ingrained spiritual principles during his service on the Family Law panel.
“It’s not an easy assignment,” he said. “There are a lot of emotions. But every once in a while, you get a really good feeling like I did something that helped this family. So, if you can help them or at least try to help them think about their children. And you know, if they look at it that way, it can be a little better. It’s still hard. It’s a hard situation.”
Sanchez has received numerous awards recognizing his service on the bench. Those include the Orange County Hispanic Bar Association Lifetime Achievement Award, UC Irvine Lauds and Laurels Award and the Orange County Register’s List of 125 Most Influential People – 2023.
He has also served several charities. Olive Crest, a Santa Ana nonprofit providing services for abused children in Orange County and the western United States, is among the charities closest to his heart.
Justice Kathleen O’Leary, presiding justice of the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three, was among Sanchez’s peers who spoke on his behalf in front of the Judicial Nominees Evaluation Commission. O’Leary recognized his passion for his position as a family law judge earn on.
“When I spoke to Sanchez months after his appointment, I asked how he liked family law,” O’Leary said. “I fully expected an answer along the lines of, well, it’s only for two or three years because that’s generally what judges say when they’re assigned to an area that doesn’t line up with their expertise. But Judge Sanchez said he was very happy in family law. He admitted it was a steep learning curve, having never practiced in the area, but he said he thought he was in the right place.”
Judge Julie Palafox, who served with Sanchez on the Family Law bench, also addressed the commission to speak in favor of colleague’s appointment to the appellate court.
“I can personally attest Judge Sanchez is exceptionally qualified, thoughtful, tireless, collegial and a very patient judicial officer,” Palafox said. “I stand here today to encourage you to confirm Judge Sanchez’s nomination, because I know he will be a respected, productive, thoughtful and valued member of the Court of Appeal, not because he is well-prepared and ready, which he is, and not because he writes with weighted clarity and thoughtfulness, which he does, but because he is a devoted and favored son of this community.”