ABOUT
The Honorable Randa M. Trapp is a graduate of San Jose State University with a B.A. in Political Science and earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1985. In 2003, after practicing law for nearly 20 years, she was appointed by then Governor Gray Davis to the San Diego County Superior Court, the third largest court system in the United States. For the last 10 years, Judge Trapp presided over all aspects of complex civil litigation and on March 17, 2021, retired as the Supervising Judge of the Civil Division. In April 2021, Judge Trapp joined JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services worldwide.
Judge Trapp has been active in all aspects of her community. She is a past president of the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association and past Regional Director of the California Women Lawyers. She was formerly a member of the Board of Directors of the California Association of Black Lawyers and Lawyers Club of San Diego. For five consecutive years, Judge Trapp was president of the J. Clifford Wallace Inn of Court and chair of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers Judicial Advisory Board. Judge Trapp also served as treasurer of the National Association of Women Judges and chair of the National Bar Association Judicial Council. She currently serves on the Lawyers Club Advisory Board and the Association of Business Trial Lawyers Board of Governors.
Judge Trapp, a veteran of the United States Navy, was an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of San Diego School of Law for nearly 20 years and has served on numerous boards and commissions. She has also received many awards and tributes including \”Randa Trapp Day\” in the City of San Diego on October 15, 2001, “Woman of the Year” for the 79th Assembly District in 2004, the California Association of Black Lawyers “Bernard S. Jefferson Judge of the Year Award” in 2008, the National Bar Association’s prestigious “Sankofa” Award in 2009, the 2017 “Unsung Hero Award” from the San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper, the 2018 “Belva Lockwood Award” from Lawyers Club of San Diego, and the 2020 “Excellence Award” from the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Foundation. In March 2021, Judge Trapp was inducted into the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame, in May 2021, Judge Trapp was awarded the San Diego County Bar Association’s Outstanding Jurist Award, and in July 2021, Judge Trapp was awarded the National Bar Association’s Vincent Monroe Townsend Award and the NBA Judicial Council Division’s Sarah J. Harper Humanitarian Award.
Judge Trapp is a silver-star, life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Epsilon Xi Omega Chapter where she has twice served as Chapter Parliamentarian.
