Mary Jo Levinger, ’73

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Mary Jo Levinger ’74 wishes the mentor program had existed when she was at SCU. Levinger was part of a pioneering class of women law students in the 70s who established the School of Law’s first orientation program, an important step in helping students make the transition to law student, and a program that exists to this day.

Levinger, who regularly hires SCU students as law clerks, says the mentoring program keeps her up to date on the law school. "The value for alums is in keeping in touch with what’s happening, how the student body is comprised, what the faculty is like, and how the school is delivering services to the students."

For students, the value is in "getting some ideas about where they can go with their law studies," she says.

Sarah Hager ’06, who had had dinner with Levinger a few nights earlier at an Italian restaurant near campus, says she enjoyed talking with someone with the breadth of experience of Judge Levinger. Hager, who eventually may run for public office, was interested to hear of the opportunities in public service and the challenges of balancing professional and personal life.