Judge Len Edwards is recognized as a national leader in the areas of family and juvenile law and is a former member of the Judicial Council of California. In 2006, he retired from the Superior Court of Santa Clara County after 26 years on the bench. He currently sits as Judge-in-Residence for the Judicial Council of California, Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), where he works with the AOC’s Center for Families, Children and the Courts on programs to improve court services for children and families in California. Judge Edwards also serves as a member of the Judicial Council’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Children in Foster Care and as a resource for a variety of Judicial Council and AOC programs and committees, including the Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee and the Dependency Representation Administration, Funding, and Training Pilot Project.

Judge Edwards is the founder and past president of the Juvenile Court Judges of California, as well as past-president of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. He has taught juvenile and family law at the Santa Clara University School of Law, Stanford Law School, and at the B.E. Witkin Judicial College of California. He has also produced several written works that have been used as curricula in universities and law schools, as well as numerous articles and books on juvenile and family law.

In 2004, Judge Edwards received the William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence and was honored as Jurist of the Year by the Judicial Council in recognition for his contributions to families and children.

Judge Edwards is recognized across the country as a leader in changing and improving the way court systems address child and family issues. He is respected as a strong and compassionate advocate for children and families and as a visionary in the field.