Judge Michael G. Bowman, ’88, was honored as the Judge of the Year at the Sacramento County Bar Association’s Bench Bar Reception in April 2024. The annual award is given to a judge who has demonstrated commitment to enhancing the system of justice with fair and equitable administration of the court, has respected legal abilities, and is recognized for professional demeanor that includes lack of bias.

Bowman was appointed to the bench in 2013 by then-Gov. Jerry Brown. At the time, he was the first practicing criminal defense attorney to be appointed in decades. He recently completed two years of service as presiding judge of the Sacramento Superior Court.

“It is worth highlighting the groundbreaking nature of Governor Brown’s appointment of Judge Bowman to our court in 2013. Until then, it had been decades since a practicing criminal defense attorney had received such an appointment. That the distinction fell to Mike Bowman came as no surprise to anyone. With his easygoing manner, quick mind, and perhaps even quicker wit, he possessed a temperament that was widely understood as ideal for serving as a judicial officer. Suffice it to say, his appointment to our bench was universally applauded by all of us already serving,” said Justice Laurie Earl in a 2024 Sacramento Lawyer article. Earl is the presiding justice of the California’s Third District Court of Appeal.

A graduate of California Polytechnic Institute, Pomona and University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, Bowman started his legal career as a deputy district attorney in Kern County from 1988-91. Starting in 1992, he ran a private criminal defense firm for over 20 years. He handled cases ranging from DUIs to death penalty. During his years on the Sacramento bench, Bowman held a variety of assignments including criminal and civil trial courts and served as supervising judge of the court’s criminal division.

In 2019, Bowman was nominated and elected to the post of assistant presiding judge. He assisted then-Presiding Judge Russell Hom in effectively addressing the many challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic including mask mandates, distancing protocols, and initial Zoom deployments.

Bowman has mentored and supported a record number of new judicial officers who joined our bench during his tenure. During his term as presiding judge, Bowman welcomed 15 new judges and seven new court commissioners to the Court, the largest two-year influx of new judicial officers in any two-year period in the Court’s history.

Throughout 2024, the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law will celebrate members of its vast alumni network in honor of the school’s 100-year anniversary. This post is part of a series highlighting 100 exceptional McGeorge School of Law alumni.   

Stay tuned for more blog posts as we celebrate the law school’s centennial anniversary.