HONORABLE NAHAL IRAVANI-SANI
Hon. Nahal Iravani-Sani is a Superior Court Judge in Santa Clara County, California, where she currently presides in civil case management in the Civil Division. Prior to joining the bench, she was a Deputy District Attorney in Santa Clara County for 23 years. A committed public servant and impact leader, she is a founding member of two statewide organizations, the California Women Judges Association and the Middle Eastern North African Judicial Officers of California, where she works tirelessly to promote diversity and inclusivity within the judiciary.
Judge Iravani-Sani is passionate about education and mentorship. She has taught Trial Techniques and Critical Lawyering Skills at Santa Clara University School of Law, Trial Advocacy at Stanford Law School, and is a frequent presenter and panelist on a wide range of topics including Civility in the Legal Profession. Through these roles, she has mentored countless current and aspiring trial attorneys.
In 2017, Governor Edmund G. Brown appointed Judge Iravani-Sani as the first Iranian-American judge to serve on the Santa Clara County Superior Court. In 2019, in partnership with the Iranian American Bar Association, she established the Judge Iravani-Sani Public Interest Scholarship, which supports law students pursuing careers in public interest law. A strong advocate for fair access to our courts, Judge Iravani-Sani also co-chairs the Judicial Mentor Program, which aims to recruit and develop a highly qualified judicial applicant pool that reflects California’s rich cultural landscape.
Judge Iravani-Sani has been recognized with numerous awards for her leadership and enduring commitment to education, mentorship, diversity, and social justice including: the Unity Award from the San Francisco Minority Bar Coalition, the 2021 Social Justice and Human Rights Award from Santa Clara University School of Law, the 2022 Mary Jo Levinger Woman Jurist of the Year by the Santa Clara County Bar Association; the 2024 San Francisco City Hall Community Leadership Award, and the 2025 Woman of the Year Award by the California 28th Assembly District.