Catherine Blakemore, Chair
Sacramento, CA

• Appointed by the California Access to Justice Commission

• Current Term Extends through June 30, 2028

Catherine Blakemore worked for more than 40 years as a legal aid attorney advocating for Californians with disabilities to ensure that they have equal rights and opportunities and the services they need and want to live full and integrated lives in the community of their choice. She retired in 2020 as the executive director of Disability Rights California, the federally mandated protection and advocacy agency and the nation’s largest disability rights organization. Catherine is the 2016 Loren Miller Legal Services Award recipient, recognizing her long-standing commitment to equality and justice for low-income Californians.

Catherine is the Chair of the California Access Commission and a Senate ProTem appointee to California’s Legal Services Trust Fund Commission, which administers grant programs that fund nonprofit civil legal aid organizations. Catherine also Chairs California’s Health and Human Services Agency Alzheimer’s Advisory Committee and is a member of the Department of Aging’s Equity Advisory Committee on Aging and Disability. She previously served as a member of Governor Newsom’s Business and Jobs Recovery Task Force and the Master Plan for Aging Long-Term Services and Supports Subcommittee.