Governor Taps Rancho Palos Verdes Attorney To Serve On Civil Rights Council

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA — The governor of California has appointed a Rancho Palos Verdes lawyer to serve on a state council, state officials announced Wednesday.

Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Ivette Peña, a Democrat, to the Civil Rights Council, state officials said. Her role, which comes with $100 per diem, requires Senate confirmation.

For the past 25 years, until her recent retirement in December, Peña served as court counsel at the Superior Court of California of Los Angeles County, officials said.

From 2016 to 2025, she was the chief deputy of legal services and court counsel, officials said.

“I think most lawyers, in reflective moments, realize being a lawyer is a privilege and a responsibility,” Peña told The Daily Journal in 2023. “I feel both of these things deeply while working here at LASC. I’m so proud of our teams and what we do every day. This is more than a great job; it’s a calling.”

Before joining the Superior Court of California, Peña was an associate at three different law firms, as well as the director of litigation/associate executive director at Public Law Center, officials said.

Peña holds a juris doctor degree from Harvard and a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, officials said.

What Is The Civil Rights Council?

Housed under the California Civil Rights Department, the “Civil Rights Council is a public body of seven volunteer members appointed by the Governor," according to the state’s website. The council’s duties include: interpreting California civil rights laws; assisting civil rights advisory bodies across the state; and holding hearings and issuing reports to advance civil rights.

Other recent Civil Rights Council appointments include Christian Acevedo of Los Angeles, Candice Cho of Los Angeles, and Vasudha Talla of Oakland, according to state officials.