Colin Bowen, Oakland City Attorneys Office

Colin Bowen is the ACBA 2019 recipient of our Distinguished Service Award for Government Attorney. He was recognized on January 24, 2019 at the ACBA Installation and Distinguished Service Awards Dinner.

Recently appointed Judge Colin Bowen has long been involved in the ACBA.  While in private practice, he was a member of the ACBA’s Court Appointed Attorney Program (CAAP) panel, and later served as ACBA Board Liaison to the CAAP Advisory Committee. 

In 2015 he was elected to the ACBA Board, where he served as a calm and reasoned voice.  Colin speaks infrequently, but everyone listens when he does.  Often described as thoughtful, quiet, “wickedly funny,” and highly ethical, Colin is well respected by his fellow Board members and by colleagues. 

Colin received his BA from the University of California Los Angeles, and his JD from the University of California Berkeley School of Law.  He began his career as an associate at Miller, Starr and Regalia and then McKenna and Cuneo, before becoming a Deputy Public Defender in Alameda County, where he remained for 12 years.  He was a co-founder of Clay & Bowen LLP in 2007, where he ran a private practice until he became a Supervising Deputy City Attorney in the Litigation Division of the City Attorney’s Office.

His commitment to justice guide his service to the community, whether it is defending those accused of criminal offenses, motivating and supporting youth, or providing high quality representation to the residents of Oakland through his work at the Oakland City Attorneys’ Office. In 2018, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Colin to the Alameda County Superior Court bench.

We are delighted to honor Judge Bowen with this inaugural government attorney award as he continues his government work on the bench.

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