The San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Association named Superior Court Judge Nicole Healy its Judge of the Year.

The San Mateo County Superior Court announced the award on Oct. 7, citing Healy's service to the judiciary and the legal community. Healy serves as the supervising judge of the Civil Division and as the county's assigned elections judge.

Her election-related work has included a ruling on Measure A. In February 2025, she ruled against then-Sheriff Christina Corpus's legal challenge to Measure A, a special election on whether county supervisors could gain authority to remove the sheriff. Healy found that county officials had complied with the required legal procedures, as KQED reported.

She is also one of two judges assigned to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) cases.

Presiding Judge Stephanie Garratt praised Healy in the court's statement. "She is deeply committed to the people who come before her and to ensuring that our court serves the community with fairness, integrity, and respect," Garratt said.

Healy was appointed to the San Mateo County bench on July 30, 2021. Before joining the court, she worked at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Criminal Division in Washington, D.C., where she prosecuted Foreign Corrupt Practices Act cases and helped negotiate three international anti-corruption treaties. She later practiced at Bay Area law firms, including a stint on a pro bono trial team that won a $4 million verdict against a member of a Chilean death squad, according to the court announcement.

Her civil caseload includes complex class actions, labor disputes, contract and business cases, claims against government agencies, land use matters and personal injury suits.

The award announcement did not specify a ceremony date. Healy continues to serve as elections judge heading into the Nov. 3 general election.