VOTE FOR RETIRED JUDGE
Brenda Harbin-Forte
FOR CITY ATTORNEY 2024

“The People of Oakland deserve a City Attorney who knows the law and who will fight for justice for all residents.”

I led the recall of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. Now, I want to be your city attorney. I will fight to make Oakland a safe, sound, and well-respected city, and to lead a justice system that works for the people.

We need to change Oakland now! Vote for Independence, Integrity and Courage.

With 45 years of legal experience—including 27 as a judge—I have managed every type of case the City Attorney’s office handles, supervising hundreds simultaneously. My Oakland roots extend over 50 years, beginning with McClymonds High as a teen mother. Graduating among the top ten students,

I attended Cal Berkeley and Berkeley Law School, passing the bar exam on my first try. I was an equity partner in a large law firm and active in bar groups and youth mentoring programs. A leader in the judiciary, I served on the California Judicial Council, as the first Black woman Dean of California’s Judicial College, and championed judicial diversity.

My efforts to combat human trafficking as the Juvenile Court Presiding Judge set national standards. Judges associations, bar associations, and community groups have honored me. Oakland needs a new direction. I will bring integrity, independence, courage, and a strong work ethic to the office.

Join These Individuals And Groups In Supporting My Candidacy

Supervisor Nate Miley
Black Women Lawyers Association of Northern California
California Association of Black Lawyers
Charles Houston Bar Association
Hon. William J. Murray, Jr., Retired Judge
Hon. Vern Nakahara, Retired Judge
Hon. Rupert Byrdsong
David Alexander, Esq.
Rev. Phyllis Scott
Hon. Patrick Zika, Retired Judge
Donald R. White, Former Alameda County Treasurer/Tax Collector
W. Byron Rumford, III
Empower Oakland
Oakland Police Officers Association
Hon. Elihu Harris, Former Mayor of Oakland
Bishop Robert L. Jackson
Loren Taylor, former Oakland City Councilmenber
Hon. Holly Mitchell, Former State Senator
Hon. Joan Neblett (Cartwright), Retired Judge
Hon. LaDoris Hazzard Cordell, Retired Judge
Hon. Evelio Grillo, Retired Judge
Robert L. Harris, Esq.
Dr. Glenda Newell-Harris, M.D
Gene Hazzard
Dr. Harold Orr
Cynthia Adams, Community Activist
Pastor Marty Peters
Derreck B. Johnson
Assata Olugbala
Judy Cain
Mary Merrick
Marilyn Harris
Elias Ferran, Esq.
Bruce Soublet, Esq.
Bari Robinson
Brenda Grisham
Ali Obad
Tyfahra Milele
Christopher Milele
Linda M. Purkiss
Lorna Pearl
Wendall Mitchell, Esq.
Janet Lee Patterson-Hardin
Alton Jelks
Donald Muhammad
Thomas R. Dryden
Sam Sargent
Joanne Ziegler
Harold Lowe
Stanley Hebert, III
Joseph S. Hebert
Napoleon Forte
Franklin D. Harbin
Gail Harbin
Tuan Ngo

My Priorities: Independence, Integrity And Courage

Ensuring that all City employees and agencies receive sound legal advice and obey the City Charter and other governing laws.

When our City Attorney turns a blind eye to violations of the City Charter and other laws, it results in an injustice to all residents.

Ending Federal Oversight Of The Police Department

We pay the federal monitor more than $1 million a year, and one of the plaintiff’s attorneys more than $100,000 annually. I will courageously take aggressive and creative approaches to ending federal oversight of the Oakland Police Department.

Ensuring That The Rights Of Tenants And Landlords Are Protected

My experiences as a tenant advocate on the Residential Rent Arbitration Board, as an Oakland residential landlord, and as a judge presiding over numerous landlord-tenant disputes, give me a unique perspective on how fairly to balance competing interests.

Reducing Reliance On Outside Law Firms

We spend millions of dollars hiring outside law firms to handle cases, with little transparency and accountability to the public. My experience as a partner in a large law firm and as a judge make me uniquely qualified to monitor strategy and ensure sound decisions are being made.

Aggressively Enforcing Code Violations, Especially Environmental Violations

Oaklanders suffer serious health issues from the lack of enforcement of health and safety laws, especially those related to environmental issues in our diverse communities. I will ensure that all Oakland residents have environmentally safe areas in which to live.

Inviting Residents To The Table To Assist In Setting Policy

I will have an open door policy to encourage input from the public who are most affected by public policy decisions.

About Retired Judge Brenda Harbin-forte

Judge Brenda F. Harbin-Forte retired from the Superior Court of Alameda County in 2019. She served more than 27 years as a judge. Her judicial experience ranges from criminal and civil jury trials and hearings, drug courts, Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Court, Presiding Judge of the Appellate Division of the Superior Court, and full-time settlement judge for civil and family law cases.

Judge Harbin-Forte is a former appointed member of the Oakland Police Commission, which oversees the Oakland Police Department to ensure its policies, practices, and customs meet or exceed national standards of constitutional policing.

Her leadership positions in California’s judiciary include serving on the California Judicial Council, serving as the first African American woman Dean of the B.E. Witkin Judicial College, and serving as Chair of the Judicial Council of the California Association of Black Lawyers (CABL).

Judge Harbin-Forte has consulted on various bench books and guides for judges, and has planned and taught judicial education courses in California, Nevada, New York, Fiji, Jamaica, and Panama. She has worked tirelessly on efforts to diversify the judiciary and the bar.

Before becoming a judge, she was an equity partner at Thelen, Marrin, Johnson & Bridges in Oakland and San Francisco, handling business litigation. Her bar activities include service as the first African American woman President of the Alameda County Bar Association, President of Black Women Lawyers Association of Northern California, and Chair of the State Bar of California’s Council on Access and Fairness.

She received her Bachelor’s degree from U.C. Berkeley in 1976, and her law degree from U.C. Berkeley’s Law School in 1979, the same year she was admitted to the California Bar.

Today, Judge Harbin-Forte continues her community service as the President of the Foundation for Judicial Education, Vice President of the Bernard E. and Alba Witkin Charitable Foundation, Treasurer for the Judicial Council of the California Association of Black Lawyers (CABL), and Judicial Advisor North for CABL’s President. Recently she completed service on the State Bar’s Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation (JNE Commission), which evaluates candidates seeking judicial appointment from the Governor.

Judge Harbin-Forte has received numerous honors and awards over the course of her distinguished career, including: Distinguished Service Award from the California Judicial Council; Lifetime Achievement, and Hall of Fame Awards from the Charles Houston Bar Association and CABL; Alba Witkin Humanitarian Award from the California Judges Association; Crystal Gavel Award from Judicial Council of CABL; Judge of the Year Award from the Alameda County Bar Association; Spirit of Excellence Award from the American Bar Association; Champion of Diversity Award from the Minority Bar Coalition; Rose Bird Memorial Award from California Women Lawyers; Woman Jurist of Distinction Award from Women Lawyers of Alameda County; Wilmont Sweeney Juvenile Court Judge of the Year Award, and awards recognizing her community service and her work on diversifying the judiciary and the legal profession.

Judge Harbin-Forte was born in poverty in Meridian, Mississippi. She relocated to Oakland, entering 11th grade at McClymond’s High School in West Oakland as a teen mother with a two-week-old baby. Judge Harbin-Forte has devoted her life to being a role model and a mentor to others, particularly teen mothers. She has one son, five grandchildren, and a great-grandson.

Your Financial Support is Much Appreciated!

DONATE

You can donate online by clicking on the DONATE button. Or to donate by mail, please send a personal check made payable to:

HARBIN-FORTE FOR CITY ATTORNEY 2024
c/o Political Reporting Plus
1 W. Manchester Blvd., Suite 700
Inglewood, CA 90301

Please include your full name, address, email address, occupation and employer for each individual making a contribution. The contribution limits for this committee is $600.

Contributions to the HARBIN-FORTE FOR CITY ATTORNEY 2024 campaign committee are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes. State and Federal law requires us to obtain and report the name and physical mailing address (no PO Boxes) for each donor.

This request does not seek a contribution in excess of applicable limits or from prohibited sources. The California Political Reform Act (Prop. 34) places limits on contributions (including loans) to candidates and imposes certain prohibitions.

Contributions of $100 or more made in cash, by cashier’s check or money order are prohibited. Contributions from foreign nationals not admitted for permanent residency or contributions made in the name of another are prohibited.

The Oakland Campaign Reform Act limits campaign contributions by all persons [OMC §3.12.050 and §3.12.060] and prohibits contributions during specified time periods from contractors doing business with the City of Oakland or the Oakland Unified School District [OMC §3.12.140].