Risë Pichon
California Superior Court judge of the County of Santa Clara (Ret.)
Judge Risë Jones Pichon served as a Judge of the Superior Court and Municipal Court of the County of Santa Clara for 35 years until her retirement in 2019. She was elected Presiding Judge of both Courts. Judge Pichon is now a panelist with JAMS (Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services). She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University in 1973 and 1976, respectively. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree on June 4, 2020.
Judge Pichon is a member of the Santa Clara University Board of Trustees. She served on the SCU Board of Regents from 2017 to 2023, as Vice-Chair from 2019 to 2021, and as Chair from 2021 to 2023. She has served as the SCU Law School’s Distinguished Jurist in Residence since 2019. Judge Pichon is a member of the SCU Law School Advisory Board, the American Leadership Forum, Class XVIII, the American Bar Association, and the California Bar Association. Judge Pichon served as a member of the Board of Directors of Catholic Relief Services from 2016 through 2021 and as Chairperson of its Governance and Nominations Committee from 2019 through 2021. She also served on the SCU Presidential Blue-Ribbon Commission on Diversity and Inclusion and the St. Thomas More Society of Santa Clara County Board of Directors.
Judge Pichon has received the following honors:
The California Judges Association 2020 President’s Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award from the Santa Clara County Trial Lawyers Association in 2019
In 2018,
The California Association of Black Lawyers Legendary Champions of Justice Award
The St. Thomas More Award
Inducted into the Silicon Valley Black Legends Hall of Fame
