“Selma Moidel Smith, Esq., a figure of great standing in the bar, ... as editor-in-chief has transformed the journal California Legal History into a treasure-house of both primary materials and excellent new scholarship.” —Founding Editor Harry N. Scheiber in Constitutional Governance and Judicial Power: The History of the California Supreme Court (Berkeley, 2016), pp. vii-viii.

“California Legal History [is] edited by our much-appreciated Renaissance woman, lawyer, composer, musician Selma Moidel Smith.” —Presiding Justice Arthur Gilbert, California Court of Appeal, in “Justice Stanley Mosk’s Enduring Legacy,” Los Angeles Daily Journal (March 4, 2013): 1, 7.

Vol. 13 (2018)

As Part 2 of a two-part tribute to Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar (published January 2018), created theme issue on topics in Environmental Law (of particular interest to Justice Werdegar); solicited articles for “Environmental Law – Articles Section” on Justice Werdegar’s contributions to the field; discovered and edited for publication the 1984 dissertation of Professor Rebecca Conard as “Environmental Law – Book Section”; selected excerpts from six related oral histories for “Environmental Law – Oral History Section” on events discussed in preceding sections. Prepared for publication (with editor’s note and citations) “California – Laboratory of Legal Innovation” by Professor Harry N. Scheiber.

Vol. 12 (2017)

As Part 1 of a two-part tribute to Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar (published December 2017) on the occasion of her retirement from the California Supreme Court on August 31, 2017, prepared for publication Justice Werdegar’s oral history, bibliography, and two unpublished speeches, all with notes and citations; compiled and edited official tributes to Justice Werdegar by the Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Court.

Vol. 11 (2016)

Created theme issue on early history of UCLA School of Law; author of lead article, “The UCLA School of Law – Origins, Conflict, and Growth”; selected and prepared for publication the materials appearing in sections (1) “Historical Documents” [from the UCLA Special Collections], (2) “Oral Histories” [of seven early figures in the school’s history], and (3) “Personal Reminiscences” [newly written by distinguished alumni and former professors].

Vol. 10 (2015)

Invited special section of tributes honoring former Justice Joseph R. Grodin; created new Bibliography project as research and curriculum guide to legal history of California (see Introduction); prepared for publication the oral history of Justice Cruz Reynoso (with editor’s note); and continued the “Student Symposium” section (with editor’s note).

Vol. 9 (2014)

Prepared for publication the oral history of Chief Justice Donald Wright (with editor’s note); created the section “The Spoken Word” for speeches by and about California Supreme Court justices; continued the “Student Symposium” section (with editor’s note); and created the section “Legal History in the Making” for the winning entries in the student writing competition (all on emerging topics).

Vol. 8 (2013)

Discovered and prepared for publication “Nine Speeches by Justice Roger Traynor” (previously unpublished) with annotations and topic introductions; the oral history of UC Berkeley School of Law Dean Herma Hill Kay (with editor’s note); and “Personal Reminiscences of Three State Bar Leaders” (with editor’s note).

Vol. 7 (2012)

Invited publication of Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar’s “Jefferson Memorial Lecture” at UC Berkeley; initiated first-time sponsorship of a panel of legal historians at American Society for Legal History annual conference on topics in California legal history, with publication of papers in the journal (see editor’s note), and first-time publication of a “Student Symposium” of law student papers (with editor’s note); and prepared for publication the oral history of appellate Justice Richard Mosk (with editor’s note).

Vol. 6 (2011)

Prepared for publication the oral histories of Judges Leon Thomas David and George Yonehiro and Attorneys Ruth Church Gupta and Sharp Whitmore (each with editor’s note); and first complete publication of “History of Los Angeles as Seen from the City Attorney’s Office” by Leon David (with editor’s note).

Vol. 5 (2010)

Prepared for publication “[Chief Justice] Phil Gibson: Conversation with Edward L. Lascher” (with editor’s note) and the oral history of appellate Justice Mildred L. Lillie (with editor’s note); researched and wrote, “A Retrospective of the Committee on History of Law in California” (precursor to the California Supreme Court Historical Society).

Vol. 4 (2009)

Prepared for publication the oral history of Justice Jesse W. Carter (with editor’s note), and “Fifteen Papers by Justice Stanley Mosk” (unpublished speeches and essays) with annotations and topic introductions; initiated continuing series on archival collections in the area of California legal history (including California State Archives, Huntington Library, Bancroft Library, Stanford Law Library, UC Hastings Library, Autry National Center, and UCLA Special Collections).

“At the Intersection of Law and Scholarship: Recent Approaches to California Legal History” — introductory essay and discussion of ten recent books on legal history in California.

By Selma Moidel Smith, editor (unsigned)

CSCHS Newsletter (Spring/Summer 2010): 7-9.

“Clara Foltz and the Role of the Public Defender”

Presented by the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Reception Sponsored by the California Supreme Court Historical Society — Los Angeles, April 21, 2011

Announcement by Selma Moidel Smith, WLALA E-Newsletter, April 2011.

Transcript with Photos, CSCHS Newsletter (Spring/Summer 2011): 12-31.

“California — Laboratory of Legal Innovation”

2001 — As Editorial Board Chair of ABA Experience Magazine, invited and published an article on California as legal innovator, written by legal historian Harry N. Scheiber.

2006 — Proposed and organized Panel Program on the same theme, presented by California Supreme Court Historical Society at State Bar Annual Meeting and prepared four-page Newsletter Supplement with excerpts of speakers’ remarks.

2018 — Republished Scheiber’s article, with citations and editor’s note, in Vol. 13 of California Legal History.

Complete Transcript — coming soon