Judge Vasquez served for two decades on the Sacramento County Superior Court, including two years on its appellate panel, presiding over hundreds of civil and complex civil litigation matters, including PAGA & class actions, law and motion, and settlement conferences resolving disputes in a variety of civil matters, ranging from commercial contract disputes to labor and employment, personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and sexual assault cases. During her tenure on the Court, she issued decisions on hundreds of cases involving a wide range of constitutional, statutory, and other legal questions, including presiding over close to 400 jury trials in civil and criminal law.
Prior to her judicial appointment, she was a shareholder in a prominent law firm in Sacramento, where she specialized in labor and employment litigation, including class action lawsuits, in state and federal court at both the trial and appellate levels. She practiced law for 24 years, providing a broad range of civil law litigation experience involving commercial disputes, education law, professional malpractice, personal injury, housing law, real property, and labor & employment. Judge Vasquez is available to serve as a mediator, arbitrator, special master, and early neutral case evaluator.
Judge Vasquez’s dedication to the judiciary, the legal profession, and the community is demonstrated by a lifetime of accomplishments and activities. She has been the recipient of numerous prestigious honors and awards for her professional excellence and community service. Notably, she was honored by the American Board of Trial Advocates (“ABOTA”) with the “Judge of the Year Award” 2022) for her “integrity, fairness and professionalism during her tenure on the Sacramento County Superior Court.” In 2019, Judge Vasquez was recognized as “Judge of the Year” by the Sacramento County Bar Association for her “stellar legal abilities, calm judicial demeanor, and commitment to the fair and equitable administration of the courts.”
A top litigator stated, “Judge Vasquez is one of the most sincere and diligent judges I have been before. She really cares about the litigants and jurors. She always demonstrates kindness and has a great work ethic.”
Practice Areas
- All Types of Employment Matters including Class Actions and PAGA
- Appellate
- Business/Contractual
- Elder Abuse
- Personal Injury including Sexual Assault/Wrongful Death
- Professional Malpractice
- Real Estate
Hobbies & Interests
Judge Vasquez is fluent in Spanish (speaking and writing). She is passionate about learning as much as she can about communities and people all over the world, having spent her junior year in college attending the University of Madrid in Spain. Aside from enjoying travel in her spare time, she also enjoys hiking, reading, and public service. She continues to assist the local law schools, colleges, high schools, and bar associations as a guest lecturer on a myriad of subjects. She is a leader in the community dedicating her time to several charitable organizations, and she is President of the Board of Directors of the Health Education Council, which provides health education to at-risk adults and children.
Legal Career
- Neutral, Judicate West (2022-Present)
- Tribal Appellate Court Judge for the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation (2025-Present); Adjudicate at the appellate level contract disputes and employment discrimination claims
- Judge, Sacramento Superior Court; Presided over a general trial department, including criminal and civil jury trials, bench trials and preliminary hearings, and complex civil litigation. She decided hundreds of cases involving a wide range of constitutional, statutory, and other legal questions. She also updated the Sacramento Superior Court’s “Harassment, Discrimination, Retaliation, and Inappropriate Workplace Conduct Prevention, Complaint Resolution Policy” currently in effect today for the Court. (2001-2022)
- California Supreme Court State Bar Trustees Nomination Committee, Chairperson (2017-2022)
- Shareholder, Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard; Emphasis in matters related to labor, employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, drug testing, education law, and personnel policy issues. Litigation was in federal and state courts (both trial and appellate levels) and before administrative agencies. Litigation included the representation of clients in individual and class action cases. (1993-2001)
- Assistant Public Defender, Office of the Public Defender, Sacramento County (1985-1993)
- Director and Chairwoman of the Sacramento Regional Transit Board of Directors, appointed by the Mayor of Sacramento; During her tenure, the public transit agency built, completed, and opened a highly successful light rail system in Sacramento County (1984-1992)
- Appellate Attorney, General Counsel’s office, Public Employment Relations Board (1983-1985)
- Commission Counsel, Fair Employment and Housing Commission (1981-1983)
- Staff Attorney, California Rural Legal Assistance; General civil practice with an emphasis on education law, landlord-tenant law, debt collection defense, automobile injury, governmental benefit programs, and employment issues (1977-1981)
Education & Professional Affiliations
- Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine/Caruso School of Law, Mediating the Litigated Case: The Art of Facilitating Settlement (October 2022)
- J.D. University of California, Berkeley School of Law (1977)
- B.A University of California, Davis; Regents Scholar (1970-1974)
- California Judicial Council: Court Technology Advisory Committee (2002-2015); Co-Chair of the Outreach Subcommittee
- CJER Faculty Member; Providing ethics, labor and employment law, and e-business training to judges throughout California (2005-2012)
- National Association of Women Judges, Lifetime Member
- American Judges Association, Member (2008-Present)
- Federal Bar Association, Member (2010-Present)
- California Judges Association, Member (2001-Present)
- California Latino Judges Association, Member (2001-Present)
- California Women Lawyers, Member (2002-Present)
- Sacramento County Bar Association, Member (1981-Present)
- Cruz Reynoso Bar Association of Sacramento (Formerly La Raza Lawyers Association); Member (1981- Present)
- Women Lawyers of Sacramento, Member (1981-Present)
- Wiley W. Manuel Bar Association, Member (2009-2022)
- American Inns of Court (Schwartz/Levi Chapter; President 2015-2018); Member of Executive Committee and “Mentor” to law students (2002-Present)
- Berkeley Law Alumni Association (1977-Present)
- U.C. Davis Alumni Association, Lifetime Member
Achievements & Awards
- Alba Witkin Humanitarian Award, California Judges Association (2024)
- Legacy Estrella Award, Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (2023)
- Ohtli Award, Presented by the Government of Mexico (2022)
- Judge of the Year Award, American Board of Trial Advocates – ABOTA (2022)
- Defensora de Justicia Award, Cruz Reynoso Bar Association (2022)
- Inaugural Judge Emily E. Vasquez Community Service Award, Schwartz/Levi Inn of Court and U.C Davis School of Law (2022)
- Published article in Sacramento Lawyer Magazine, ‘Remembering Justice Cruz Reynoso’ (2021)
- Published article in Sacramento Lawyer Magazine, ‘Remembering Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’ (2020)
- Judge of the Year Award, Sacramento County Bar Association (2019)
- Recognition by the California Senate for leadership, integrity, and service to the cause of justice for all (2019)
- Joe Serna, Jr., Lifetime of Community Service Award (2019)
- Honorary Degree of Juris Doctor from Lincoln Law School, Sacramento (2013)
- Certificate of Appreciation, Capitol City Trial Lawyers Association (2012)
- Certificate of Appreciation, Health Education Council (2011)
- Women Who Mean Business Award, Sacramento Business Journal (2008)
- Rose Bird Memorial Award, California Women Lawyers (2008)
- Outstanding Latina of the Year, Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (2008)
- Frances Newell Carr Achievement Award, Women Lawyers of Sacramento (2006)
- Humanitarian of the Year Award, Sacramento County Bar Association (2001)
- Authored “Advancing Access to Justice through Technology: Guiding Principles for California Judicial Branch Initiatives” which is still in effect today in CA’s judicial branch and used as a model nationwide
Below is a sampling of the various matters Hon. Emily E. Vasquez, Ret. presided over on the bench, tried as an attorney, or handled as a neutral.
Contractual
- Presided over dozens of business contract disputes in jury trials and bench trials. One example includes a 2018 bench trial for declaratory relief involving a Wireless Marketing Agreement. The dispute centered on whether the plaintiff had the sole and exclusive right to market, license, and sublicense all of the defendant’s assets or only those listed in an asset schedule. Judge Vasquez held that the plaintiff’s rights extended to all located assets, to the exclusion of others, for the duration of the contract term.
Lemon Law
- Arbitrated a lemon law case involving complex discovery issues and motions for attorney’s fees.
Construction Defects
- Mediated a case involving a construction defect liability.
Disability and Wrongful Termination
- Mediated a case involving an employee who alleged several causes of action, inter alia, involving her disability, failure to engage in the interactive process, wrongful termination, and emotional distress.
Discrimination
- Mediated a case involving a racial hostile work environment and discrimination in promotion alleged by two employees against their employer and supervisor.
Employment Wage & Hour Class Action PAGA
- Mediated a wage and hour class action PAGA matter with challenging Covid issues.
Sexual Harassment And Retaliation
- Mediated a sexual harassment case alleging a hostile work environment.
Wage and Hour
- Mediated a case where the plaintiff alleged that he had been misclassified as an exempt employee when more than 50 percent of his time was spent perfoming nonexempt job duties.
Wage and Hour Class Action
- Mediated a wage and hour class action PAGA matter with challenging Covid issues.
Whistleblower Wrongful Term
- Mediated a case involving failure to accomodate an employee's disability and retaliation for whitleblower and wrongful termination action.
- Mediated a case involving a whistleblower retaliation matter.
Wrongful Termination
- Mediated an interesting case involving a religious school employee and its interface with FEHA and wage & hour laws.
- Mediated an ADA and employment wrongful termination case involving the intersection of FEHA’s exemption for nonprofit religious corporations, as well as FMLA and CFRA provisions.
- Mediated a case involving a complex wage and hour, retaliation, and wrongful termination lawsuit.
IP Trade Secrets
- Mediated a global settlement of two related cases involving employee misclassification and wage-and-hour claims and the employer’s counterclaims for trademark infringement, unfair competition, interference, breach of contract, trade secret misappropriation, and conversion.
Probate
- Mediated a dispute over a dissolution agreement and conveyances of real property.
Breach Of Contract
- Mediated a complex commercial business contract dispute for the sale and purchase of a business & real property with complaints and cross-complaints filed by the parties. All the issues had been addressed to reach a resolution.
- Mediated a complex and highly emotional breach of two contracts involving the sale and purchase of a commercial business and real estate.
Landlord/Tenant
- Presided over dozens of bench and jury trials in the area of landlord/tenant unlawful detainers while serving as a judicial officer.
- Litigated Cazares v. Ortiz (1980) 109 Cal. App.3d Supp. 23, a case that resulted in a published opinion addressing how damages should be computed for breach of the implied warranty of habitability. In this case, the Appellate Department of the Superior Court held that damages should be computed by recognizing the agreed contract rent as proper for the premises as impliedly warranted, reducing the agreed rent by the percentage reduction of habitability, and then multiplying the difference by the number of months of occupancy.
Warranty of Habitability
- Mediated a Warranty of Habitability case where there was no written notification of defects (all verbal) which the Landlord denied ever receiving.
PI Auto
- Mediated a case involving a wrongful death of a young man as a result of a traffic collision.
Wrongful Death
- Mediated a wrongful death case involving complex issues of causation and superseding causes.
Judge Vasquez's masterful approach to mediation transformed what began as an extremely contentious employment matter into a successfully resolved case. Her creative solutions and ability to reframe core issues opened new pathways to resolution that neither party had previously considered. Her reputation is so well-regarded that another judge, upon learning of her involvement as mediator, streamlined our procedural requirements based solely on his confidence in her capabilities. Her combination of deep legal expertise and innovative problem-solving makes her an exceptional choice for complex employment law mediations.
- Employment Attorney
Judge Vasquez is an excellent mediator. She was well-prepared, insightful, and proactive in asking for crucial details. She provided a clear roadmap of potential trial risks for each party. It was a pleasure working with her, and I'd gladly do so again.
- Attorney on a Warranty of Habitability Case
We greatly appreciate your efforts in this mediation. We believe that this outcome would not have been possible with many other mediators. Your attention to the facts was particularly impressive and not something I often see in mediation. Additionally, opposing counsel sent me a note expressing his gratitude for your work.
- Co-Founder of a Northern California Law Firm
Judge Vasquez takes the time to understand and appreciate each side's position and arguments. Her demeanor is pleasant and welcoming, especially for parties who are unfamiliar with, or scared of, the mediation process. She is there to truly try to help the parties come to a mutual resolution.
- Principal Attorney at a Los Angeles-Based Firm
Judge Vasquez is an excellent mediator. She was well-prepared, insightful, and proactive in asking for crucial details. She provided a clear roadmap of potential trial risks for each party. It was a pleasure working with her, and I’d gladly do so again.
- Attorney on a Real Estate Case
Judge Vazquez was crucial to the resolution of this matter. We are grateful for her knowledge and experience.
- Trial Attorney at a Prestigious Law Firm
Judge Vasquez is an excellent mediator. She was well prepared for my case and took the time in advance to really discuss the critical issues with me. Then, she stayed “on task” during the mediation convincing both parties that resolution was in the parties’ mutual best interest. She would be on my very short list to work with again.
- Board Member of ABOTA, Sacramento Chapter
Thank you for the follow-up and working so tirelessly with us yesterday. Your invaluable work and assistance were critical to reaching resolution of the case and I am happy to report that the parties have reached settlement this afternoon. Again, thank you for your time and guidance yesterday.
- Partner at a Statewide Law Firm Regarding an Employment Matter
