In Memoriam:
Candace Carroll, CWL President, 2003-2004
California Women Lawyers was saddened to learn that past president Candace Carroll passed away January 24, 2024, at the age of 79.
Carroll, who served as CWL president from 2003-2004, was a highly regarded appellate practitioner, and she served in many leadership roles throughout her legal career.
In addition to serving as CWL president, Carroll was a past president of the San Diego County Bar Association and a long-time member of CWL affiliate Lawyers Club of San Diego, and she served for seven years as chair of Senator Barbara Boxer’s Judicial Advisory Committee for the Southern District of California. She also served on the boards of directors of the San Diego Opera and the San Diego Convention Center Corporation.
Carroll received the 2018 Outstanding Attorney Award from the San Diego County Bar Association and was recognized as a Super Lawyer in the field of Appellate Law, as a Top San Diego Lawyer, and as one of the Best Lawyers in America in the field of Commercial Litigation.
"Candace Carroll was a trailblazer who gave so much back to the legal community and the broader community," CWL president Jodi Cleesattle said. "She was an inspiration in San Diego, where she was only the fifth woman to serve as president of the San Diego County Bar Association and where she served on the boards of so many legal and civic organizations. And she was an inspiration to women lawyers throughout the state, serving as president of California Women Lawyers from 2003 to 2004. A gifted appellate lawyer, a trusted leader, and a dedicated volunteer, Candy will be greatly missed."
Carroll practiced with Sullivan Hill Rez & Engel in San Diego for 30 years. Prior to joining the firm, she spent seven years in the Appellate Court Branch of the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C., and a year serving as a court law clerk to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She received her B.B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, from George Washington University, and her J.D., with honors, Order of the Coif, from Duke University Law School.
She also taught seminars on advanced legal writing at Duke University and University of San Diego Law School, and for several years supervised a Ninth Circuit Legal Clinic at the University of San Diego Law School.
CWL is grateful to Candace Carroll for her contributions to CWL, her years of service and good works, and her dedication to women’s equality.
