Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently announced new appointments to Santa Clara County Superior Courts, and three of the four are Santa Clara Law alumni.
JoAnne McCracken J.D. ’86, James L. Stoelker J.D. ’74 and Drew C. Takaichi J.D. ’80 were appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to judgeships in the Santa Clara County Superior Court.
JoAnne McCracken, 49, of San Jose, has been a deputy district attorney for the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office since 1989. She was an associate attorney for Long and Levit from 1986 to 1989. McCracken earned a J.D. from Santa Clara Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She was elected in June 2010 to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge John J. Garibaldi. The Governor’s appointment allows her to immediately take her position on the bench.
James L. Stoelker, 61, of Saratoga, has been a principal at Mount and Stoelker since 1988. Previously, he was a partner for Mount, Kraw and Stoelker in 1987, Eller, Burt and Stoelker from 1984 to 1987 and Garrison, Townsend and Orser from 1983 to 1984. Stoelker served as a staff litigation attorney for Western Title Insurance from 1976 to 1983 and an associate attorney for Atwood and Hurst from 1974 to 1975. He earned a J.D. from Santa Clara Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Santa Clara University.
Drew C. Takaichi, 56, has been a sole practitioner since 1994. He was a partner for Brockman and Takaichi from 1983 to 1994 and Hamrick, Hoffman, Guillot and Takaichi from 1982 to 1983. Takaichi served as an associate for the Law Offices of Diana E. Levitz from 1980 to 1982. He earned a J.D. from Santa Clara Law and a Bachelor of Business Administration from California State University, Chico.
ABOUT SANTA CLARA LAW
During this academic year, Santa Clara University School of Law is celebrating its first 100 years of educating lawyers who lead. Founded in 1911 on the site of California’s oldest operating higher-education institution, Santa Clara Law is dedicated to educating lawyers who lead with a commitment to excellence, ethics, and social justice. One of the nation’s most diverse law schools, Santa Clara Law offers its 1,000 students an academically rigorous program, including graduate degrees in international law and intellectual property law; combined J.D./MBA and J.D./MSIS degrees; and certificates in intellectual property law, international law, and public interest and social justice law. Santa Clara Law is located in the world-class business center of Silicon Valley, and is distinguished nationally for its top-ranked program in intellectual property. For more information, see law.scu.edu.
