Court of Appeal Justice Candace Cooper to retire

After nearly three decades on the bench, Court of Appeal Justice Candace Cooper will retire by the end of the year, the Metropolitan News-Enterprise reported.

Cooper, who is the presiding justice on this district's Div. Eight, told MetNews that she plans to retire and start working as a private mediator/arbitrator.

Cooper said she was making the change to better help her daughter pay for college, at a time when she's already reached the highest level of retirement benefits she's eligible to receive, as we mentioning her long tenure on the bench.

Cooper began her legal career as an associate at Gibson Dunn in 1973.

She then next appointed to Los Angeles Municipal Court, serving from 1980-87. Cooper spent the next 12 years at Los Angeles Superior Court, becoming the supervising judge of the West District and also serving as president of the California Judges Association.

From 1999-2001, she was tapped by the governor to become a justice at Div. Two this district's Court of Appeal. In 2001, Cooper was picked to be presiding judge of the newly created Div. Eight.