Sandra Ikuta, the new Ninth Circuit nominee, is known more for her studious demeanor and knowledge of environmental regulatory law than her expertise in kung fu. But before going to law school, Ikuta was a mover and shaker in martial arts media.
“She’s quiet, she’s a very private person, very family oriented,â€? said Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski, for whom Ikuta clerked. Kozinski performed the wedding of Ikuta and her husband, Ed (a martial arts photographer), after her clerkship was over. Ikuta was not “into extreme sports or anything like that,â€? Kozinski added. But StanIey Blumenfeld, Ikuta’s former law school classmate at UCLA — and a partner with her at O’Melveny & Myers — said Ikuta’s journalism master’s and experience on publications like Inside Kung Fu — helped them push out a tough issue of the UCLA Law Review.
