Yolanda Torres
Yolanda V. Torres was appointed to the bench in March 2022. She is assigned to the family law division at Lamoreaux Justice Center in Orange County. Prior to her appointment, Judge Torres was a Certified Family Law Specialist and she practiced family law at her firm the Law Firm of Yolanda V. Torres. She was a member of the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists. She taught family law as an adjunct professor at Western State College of Law from 2017 to 2021. In addition, she has taught seminars for various bar organizations on subject matters such as family law, legal ethics and elimination of bias in the legal profession.
Judge Torres and her brother were raised in a single parent household in Westminster, California. She is a graduate of Westminster High School where she played on the women’s junior varsity and varsity basketball teams. During her years playing basketball, the teams faced obstacles as there were not enough financial resources to play tournaments and purchase enough uniforms.
Judge Torres is a first generation Mexican American on her father’s side and second generation on her mother’s side. Her mother taught her that anything is possible with hard work and determination. She is the first to attend college in her family. She is a graduate of California State University Long Beach and the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.
Judge Torres recognizes the importance of community outreach and helping others in need. Prior to her appointment Judge Torres served on the Orange County Hispanic Bar Association Board of Directors and was President in 2019. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Orange County Bar Association and the Public Law Center. She continues her work in the community as a board member for ELLA Sports Foundation (Empowering Leadership in Latina Athletes) and as a member of the UC Irvine Alliance. She serves on the Community Outreach Committee for the California Judge’s Association and volunteers for the Judges in the Classroom program at local schools. Judge Torres was awarded the Judge of the Year award by the Orange County Hispanic Bar Association in 2024.
In her free time Judge Torres enjoys traveling, including several HBA trips, snow skiing and spending time with her family.