The Middle Eastern and North African Judicial Officers of California (“MENA JOC”)

MENA Category Officially Approved

The Biden Administration has officially approved the Middle East and North Africa (“MENA”) category to be added to the census and other federal forms. For more than three decades, Arab Americans and other MENA groups have campaigned for their own checkbox on the U.S. Census and other government forms; their only option was to check “white,” which is how the federal government perceived people from the Middle East, and North Africa.  Since the MENA category has finally been approved, the Arab American community will no longer be invisible. This is huge, and marks the significant strides the Arab American community has made with their persistent advocacy. 

Creation of MENA Judicial Officers of California

The Middle Eastern and North African Judicial Officers of California (“MENA JOC”), founded in 2023, is an association of current and retired state and federal judicial officers throughout California.  The founding members of the organization are Judge Isabel Apkarian (Orange County Superior Court), Judge Sylvia Nahal Iravani-Sani (Santa Clara County Superior Court), Judge Nadia Jamil Keilani (San Diego County Superior Court),  Judge Michael Pulos (San Diego County Superior Court), and Judge Tony Raphael (San Bernardino County Superior Court and AALASC Board Member). MENA JOC membership is diverse and includes judicial officers who have heritage from the broadly defined MENA region, judicial officers who are related to persons with heritage from the MENA region, judicial officers who have a deep-rooted interest in and passion for any of the many cultures in the MENA region, and judicial officers who simply share in the MENA JOC mission.

In January 2024, MENA JOC became an affinity group affiliate of the California Judges Association, alongside the California Latino Judges Association, Association of African American California Judicial Officers, California Asian Pacific American Judges Association, and the LGBT Judicial Officers of California. The overarching purpose of MENA JOC is communication, education, and networking among MENA JOC members, other members of the judiciary, bar associations, and local communities throughout California.  One of MENA JOC’s goals is to increase representation of MENA judges on the bench in the spirit of furthering efforts to increase diversity in the judiciary in general.  

Please visit menajoc.org for additional information on the incredible work this organization is doing.