Accolades Duet for BayLegal Attorney

Minouche Kandel was among forty-three California attorneys honored for their achievements as a 2008 California attorney of the year. In addition to the CLAY award for her domestic violence work, the Daily Journal listed Kandel as one of the "Top 100" most influential lawyers in California in 2009.

Kandel joined BayLegal more than 12 years ago. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Kandel's work in public-interest law extends over a decade to her volunteer work with Oakland-based Shalom Bayit, which focuses on ending domestic violence in the Jewish community.

The daughter of Holocaust refugees, her career in social justice is influenced by her parents' past. Focusing mainly on women's issues, Kandel represents battered immigrant women to help them escape domestic violence.

Nakamura v. Parker resulted in an important outcome for domestic violence survivors throughout the state of California. A Superior Court Judge had denied her client a temporary protective order against her abuser, without offering a hearing or subsequent explanation.

Kandel represented Ms. Nakamura, arguing that California's Domestic Violence Prevention Act (DVPA) entitled her to a protective order based on the facts in her application. The Court of Appeals found for Ms. Nakamura and the Courts opinion paved the way for the California legislature to act to protect future domestic violence victims.

On August 4, 2008, California legislature passed and Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 2553, which requires judges to explain their reasons for denying a temporary restraining order and to hold a hearing to consider such requests.

The statute stands as a reminder of the court's role in providing safety to domestic violence survivors and the responsibility of judges to seriously approach all domestic violence restraining orders.

Kandel's commitment to providing dedicated representation created legislation to protect victims of domestic violence from decisions that could potentially endanger their lives.