Judge Lisa Pacione

Education: Bachelor’s degree from UCLA; Juris Doctor (J.D., 2002) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Pepperdine University School of Law.
Legal career (pre-bench): Nearly two decades as a family law attorney in Lancaster (Antelope Valley, Los Angeles County), operating a solo practice (Pacione Law Firm) from 2002–2021, focusing on divorce, child custody/support, guardianship, and estate planning.
Judicial appointment: Appointed as a Kern County Superior Court judge by Governor Gavin Newsom in July 2021 (term began July 2021), filling the vacancy left by retiring Judge Louie L. Vega. Prior to that, served briefly as a court commissioner in Kern County beginning March 2021.
Election: In June 2022 Pacione ran unopposed and was elected to a full six-year term on the Kern Superior Court bench, with the term running 2023–2029.
Court assignment: Assigned to Department F (Family Law) in the Metropolitan Division (Bakersfield) of the Kern County Superior Court. She presides over family law and domestic relations cases (divorce, custody, support, domestic violence, etc.).
Notable rulings: As a trial court judge, her decisions are not published in appellate reports. In 2024 she was named as a defendant in a federal civil-rights suit (Maxwell v. Pacione) arising from a contested custody case; the court ultimately dismissed the claims based on judicial immunity. Otherwise, her courtroom work on family law matters has proceeded as part of the normal docket.
Community and reputation: Admitted to the California Bar in 2002 (State Bar No. 221673) and in good standing. She has no known disciplinary history. Pacione is regarded in the Kern legal community as a diligent and efficient family law judge, moving cases steadily through the system. She participates in professional bar activities in the region, and her record reflects a strong focus on family court service.

Education

Lisa Pacione completed her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. She then attended Pepperdine University School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor degree in 2002. At Pepperdine she also obtained a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree, with specialized training in dispute resolution (through the Pepperdine Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution). Her advanced degrees in law underline her focus on mediation and family court issues.

Legal and Professional Career (Pre-Bench)

After passing the California bar in 2002, Pacione launched a private practice in Lancaster, California, the Antelope Valley community where she is based. For nearly 19 years she practiced family law, handling divorce, child custody and support, spousal support, guardianship and related estate planning matters. She worked as a sole practitioner (often under the name Pacione Law Firm), building a reputation as a dedicated family law attorney. During this period she was an active member of the California State Bar (Family Law Section and local bar) and established herself in the legal community of northern Los Angeles County. There are no records of any disciplinary actions during her years in practice.

Judicial Appointment and Election

In March 2021, the Kern County Superior Court appointed Pacione as a family law court commissioner, giving her temporary judicial duties. A few months later, Governor Gavin Newsom announced her elevation to the Kern County Superior Court bench. Newsom’s official appointment, dated July 9, 2021, made Pacione a superior court judge (she was 41 at the time and had been living in Lancaster). She filled the position vacated by the retirement of Judge Louie L. Vega. Pacione took her oath and began serving as a judge in July 2021.

California superior court judges serve six-year terms. In the June 7, 2022 nonpartisan election, Pacione ran unopposed for a new term and won outright in the primary. She thus secured a full term on the bench, with her term of office extending through January 2029 (the standard term length for Kern Superior Court judges).

Court Assignment

Judge Pacione is assigned to the Family Law Department in the Metropolitan (Bakersfield) Division of the Kern County Superior Court. The court’s public records list her in Department F of the Metropolitan courthouse. In that capacity, she hears family law and domestic relations cases: this includes proceedings such as dissolutions of marriage (divorce), custody and visitation disputes, child and spousal support hearings, restraining order petitions (including domestic violence cases), guardianship matters, and related family court issues. Her courtroom operates on a typical family law calendar, often handling a high volume of short matters; she has been noted for moving cases efficiently through the calendar.

Notable Cases and Decisions

As a trial court judge, Pacione’s rulings do not generally appear in reported case law. There are no widely-publicized appellate cases or landmark rulings associated with her name. One matter of public note occurred in 2024, when a pro se litigant filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit (Maxwell v. Pacione) against Judge Pacione and other officials, challenging certain family-court decisions in a custody dispute. The federal court ultimately recommended dismissing all claims against Judge Pacione and the other judicial defendants, reaffirming the doctrine of judicial immunity and the non-justiciability of those issues at the federal level. Aside from that incident, Judge Pacione’s judicial record consists of routine family-law adjudication. She is known to require compliance with court orders (for example, completion of parenting classes, drug testing in some cases, etc.), as typical for family law courts, but these actions have not led to published appeals.

Community Involvement, Ethics, and Reputation

Judge Pacione maintains an active presence in the Kern County legal community. She is a member of the California State Bar in good standing (Bar No. 221673, admitted 2002). There are no reported ethics complaints or disciplinary actions on her record. Colleagues and local legal observers describe her as a thorough and diligent judge, particularly in the family law arena. When she took the bench, a legal industry publication noted her focus on efficiently moving family cases through the system. In Kern County she participates in professional and community events related to family court services. In addition to her judicial duties, she supports court outreach and education programs that involve the family court, and she works closely with the Family Court Services unit (which provides mediation and custody evaluations). In summary, Pacione’s professional reputation is that of a capable family law jurist with a strong work ethic, and she has been well regarded by peers for her dedication to streamlining the family law calendar and treating cases with thoroughness and fairness.