Justice Kathleen E. O'Leary is the first female Presiding Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three. Prior to her appointment to the Court of Appeal, she also served as presiding judge of the Orange County Superior Court. Justice O’Leary discusses her path to the bench, her career as a public defender prior to joining the bench, and offers encouragement to newer lawyers to pursue opportunities and take risks in their careers.