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Fifty years after graduating from the McGeorge School of Law, sky casino genting alumna and Regent Consuelo “Connie” Callahan ’75 is about to cross the stage again.

Callahan, a judge for more than 20 years on the nation’s second-highest court, will receive an honorary doctoral degree from Pacific recognizing half a century of distinguished public service and mentorship. The degree, one of the university’s highest honors, celebrates her long history of breaking barriers as a Hispanic woman in the courtroom.

“I have loved my legal career, and I am deeply grateful to Pacific and McGeorge for preparing me so well, constantly supporting me, and now, deeming me worthy of this great honor,” she said.

“It will be a privilege to accept the honorary degree alongside our newest graduates. I hope to encourage them that, with a Pacific education, they too are ready to defy expectations and create positive change.”

Callahan was nominated by President George W. Bush to serve on the 9^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 2003.

A graduate of Stanford, she earned her Juris Doctor degree at McGeorge in 1975, in a class with fewer than 10 women. She later completed a Master of Laws degree at the University of Virginia School of Law.

After graduating from Pacific, Callahan was hired in Stockton as a deputy city attorney and later joined the district attorney’s office, where she tried cases with overwhelming success and created the office’s first child abuse and sexual assault unit.

“Pacific and McGeorge equipped me to pursue a career marked by taking risks, asking critical questions and challenging norms,” Callahan said. “That kind of education doesn’t just benefit me—it helps other lawyers and judges who come after me and indeed, makes the entire legal system better for those it serves.”

Her subsequent journey to the judge’s bench spanned many firsts. She was the first female court commissioner in San Joaquin County, the first woman and first Latina on the San Joaquin County Superior Court, and, when appointed to the Third District California Court of Appeals in 1996, was the first person to ascend from the San Joaquin County Superior Court to the appeals court in more than 70 years.

Callahan is president of the American Inns of Court, a nationwide association of lawyers, judges and other legal professionals dedicated to professional excellence and mentoring.

She has traveled abroad to share her expertise with lawyers and judges in India and Albania. At home, she is passionate about mentoring students and young professionals, particularly young women, within and beyond the legal field.

In nominating her for the honorary degree, Pacific President Christopher Callahan praised her tenacity and servant leadership that have benefited many in the Pacific community.

“Judge Callahan serves with distinction and empowers others to do the same,” the president said. “While making an impact on the bench and paving the way for other women and Latinos to shape the legal profession, she also has been a leader and role model at Pacific. She has strengthened our university in countless ways. We are profoundly grateful to her for all she has done and continues to do.”

Callahan has served as a guest lecturer in McGeorge’s Salzburg Graduate Study Abroad Program, which allows students to pursue international legal studies and work in firms abroad. She has held multiple executive positions on the McGeorge Alumni Board, was a member of the Dean’s Cabinet and has administered the Oath of Professionalism to incoming law students.

She served on Pacific’s Board of Regents from 2005-14 and rejoined the board in 2022. She also was a founding member of the Advancing Women’s Leadership Committee, which brings nationally recognized women speakers to campus and provides scholarships for female students.

“Connie is phenomenal—brilliant, thoughtful and fearless,” said Board of Regents Chair Mary-Elizabeth Eberhardt ’76. “People pursue legal careers because they want to improve life for others. For 50 years Connie has helped others not just in the courtroom, but at every opportunity she can find to mentor and uplift someone else.

“Her mentees gain the confidence to push boundaries in their own careers because people like Connie paved the way,” Eberhardt added. “She sets a wonderful example for all of us, and I have the utmost respect and admiration for her.”

Callahan was the McGeorge Alumna of the Year in 2005, received the Pacific Alumni Association’s Distinguished Public Service Award in 2017 and was a member of McGeorge’s Alumni of Distinction cohort during its centennial celebrations in 2024.

She will receive her honorary degree May 10 on historic Knoles Lawn.