Judge, Superior Court (retired); Legal Consultant and Educator
Judge Leonard Edwards is a retired Superior Court Judge now working as a consultant and teacher. He provides technical assistance to the courts of California, across the country, and in several foreign countries, particularly in areas involving children and families. Judge Edwards served for 26 years as a Superior Court Judge in Santa Clara County, California. He sat as a domestic relations judge and as a juvenile court judge. He also served for six years as Judge-in-Residence with the Center for Families, Children & the Courts, a division of the California Administrative Office of the Courts.
During his judicial career, Judge Edwards founded and was the first president of the Juvenile Court Judges of California as well as founder of the Santa Clara County Domestic Violence Council, Kids in Common, and the Child Advocates of Santa Clara County. Judge Edwards was the President of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges in 2002-2003. Judge Edwards has taught at the University of Santa Clara Law School, Stanford Law School, and the California Judicial College. He has provided judicial trainings in 48 states and 13 foreign countries. Judge Edwards has written widely, including two recent books entitled The Role of the Juvenile Court Judge: Practice and Ethics and Reasonable Efforts: A Judicial Perspective. Judge Edwards has received many awards and was the recipient of the 2004 William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence.
