Lodi attorney Ann Cerney, who shattered glass ceiling, dies at 86
A trailblazing attorney. A progressive and passionate defender of the disenfranchised. A dedicated family woman. A strong female role model.
Lodi’s Ann Cerney, who lived a rich and versatile life, died on Feb. 24. She was 86 years old.
Cerney was known for her integrity and selflessness as well as her elegant and graceful approach to life. But she also had a fighting spirit, and was a fierce defender of equality. She cared deeply for her community and the city of Lodi, where she lived for more than 50 years.
Cerney was born in Martinez on Sept. 23, 1934, the second of seven children. The family later moved to Salinas, where she graduated from Salinas High in 1952. After high school, she attended Dominican University in San Rafael and graduated in 1956. After graduation she taught for the Salinas Unified School District.
In 1957 she married her husband Reid, and they had their first child in 1958.
Cerney was interested in politics early on, and an encounter with former President John F. Kennedy in the 1950s changed the course of her life, her son Ben said. Cerney attended a political fundraiser where she spoke with Kennedy, a senator at the time, and he talked about the importance of serving your country.
“When we were young, they were inspired by John F. Kennedy to go overseas to volunteer,” Ben Cerney said of his mother and father. “So we went to South America for four years, and that’s where she learned to speak Spanish.”
In 1960, the Cerneys moved to South America and Reid, a social worker, co-founded graduate programs in social work at universities in Bogotá, Columbia, and Quito, Ecuador. Ann, in the meantime, taught high school and the family welcomed two daughters and a son.
Once back in the U.S., the family settled in Lodi, where they had one more child, a son. When the youngest became old enough to go to grade school, Ben said, Ann decided to go law school. With five children still at home, she attended night school to pursue her dreams. Working as a team, Reid would come home from work and would take over dinner chores, as well as making sure the children did their homework and got ready for bed.
In 1975, Cerney graduated from Humphreys College School of Law in Stockton. The following year, she was admitted to the California Bar. However, finding employment as a female attorney in the ’70s proved difficult and Cerney struggled to land a job.
But she was not deterred. “She felt being a woman shouldn’t be an impediment to becoming a lawyer,” Ben Cerney said. “Just because she was a woman doesn’t mean she couldn’t practice law.”
Attorney Shellie Lott, one of the partners in Cerney Kreuze & Lott, LLP, who worked with Cerney until she retired, remembers the stories about those early days. Cerney purposely went and applied to every law firm in the area and the only offers she received were for secretarial positions.
With no opportunities available, Cerney and several female colleagues decided to create them. They opened their own law firm in Stockton.
“And I think they just made it (up) as they went along,” Lott said. “They were trailblazers.”
Barbara Fass, who served as Stockton’s mayor from 1980 to 1985, and Judge Rolleen McIlwrath, who was appointed to the San Joaquin County Superior Court in 1997, were partners in the firm. The women were all raising their children while pursuing legal careers.
Attorney Craig S. Marks, who shared offices with Cerney for 35 years, remembers her telling him about those early days.
“They converted one of the offices into a childcare playroom center, because they all had children,” he said. “That was the role of women in those days.”
Many of the young female attorneys brought their children to work, he added, and helped each other watching after them.
“That was a pretty unique thing,” Marks said.
Cerney specialized in Social Security law. She tried to give access to legal services to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay, her son said. She wanted to serve the less fortunate, and helped people with disabilities get government benefits.
Her altruistic sense guided her work, according to those who know her.
Marks remembers Cerney’s dedication.
“The most remarkable thing about Ann was her dedication to people less fortunate. She was a very bright woman, she could have made a lot of money, but that was never even close to her motivation,” he said. “I always joked with her that the people that worked for her made more money than she did.”
Cerney often represented people with disabilities and Mexican immigrants, frequently at no cost. For many years, she was the only Spanish-speaking attorney in San Joaquin County. She also was active in the local political scene, and her son remembers her going down to the post office every Saturday and peacefully demonstrating against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
Cerney attended city council meetings and closely followed the issues of the day, eventually deciding to run for office. In another trailblazing moment for the times, she was elected to the San Joaquin Delta Community College Board of Trustees. She held that position for 14 years.
“There weren’t women on school boards in the ’70s, it was all men,” her son said.
In 1980, Cerney ran for and won the Democratic primary for what was then California’s 14th Congressional District. She met Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy, and Gov. Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, who campaigned for her, though she was unable to unseat incumbent Norman Shumway in the general election.
Her activist streak carried over into her daily legal work, Lott said.
Cerney promoted social justice. Her practice was located right across from the courthouse, so people would sometimes just walk in. If time allowed, Cerney would invite them back to her office and sometimes spend hours with them at no charge, Lott said, adding “she just wanted to help them out as best as she could.”
Cerney was very invested in community and spearheaded opposition to the construction of a Walmart Supercenter in Lodi in the early 2000s, a battle that brewed for a decade.
“It was very much her own personal concern about Lodi and preserving the soil there, because she didn’t want to see just another city, where we didn’t preserve what was important for Lodi,” Lott said.
Cerney also cared deeply about the town’s changing demographics. As the city became more diverse and the socioeconomics shifted, Marks said it was always Cerney’s goal to give voice to the underrepresented in the community.
“Her biggest impact was opening people’s eyes to injustice,” he said.
Former Councilwoman JoAnne Mounce appreciated Cerney’s thoughtful and respectful approach to issues.
“Even when she came to the city council, and she either supported or did not support the particular issue that we were discussing, her mannerisms and respect for all parties involved was just amazing,” Mounce said. “If I remember nothing else about Ann it was her beautiful smile and her willingness to embrace all situations, regardless if she agreed with them or not, and how graceful she was about how she disagreed with you.”
Retired Judge Bob McNatt always held Cerney in high regard. He worked with her both as a judge and when he was Lodi’s city attorney.
He said Cerney devoted her entire life to justice, and echoed Mounce’s sentiments.
“She was excellent. She was able to disagree without being disagreeable,” he said.
Cerney was very passionate about land issues, Mounce said. Cerney’s approach was, if you are going to build on farmland here, then you’re going to have to buy farmland somewhere else, Mounce said.
“Ann was always very concerned about that mitigation, and I think that was very wise of her,” she said. “We should be growing up, not out. And I think Ann really agreed with that.”
Cerney was honored by the San Joaquin County Bar with the 2011 Law Day Award for her contributions to the legal community. Marks said Cerney was chosen for her dedication and service to the community.
U.S. Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Stockton, knew Cerney well.
“Ann Cerney was one of the most genuine people I have known. For decades, she fought for those most in need by using the law and engaging others in the community for help. Her name and work will be remembered in San Joaquin County for years to come, and her family will always be proud of her legacy,” he said.