THE ROBING ROOM

Judge Kobayashi has a warm, engaging personality and seems to genuinely try to be fair and impartial. Still, many of her rulings are surprising and out of the mainstream. It is difficult to tell if this is due to a lack of scholarship (doubtful), an excessive workload, a fondness for minority lines of authority, or just legitimate, thoughtfully held views that are at odds with the majority view. Although Judge Kobayashi is one of the better judges in this jurisdiction, one should not expect that her kindness and pleasant personality, nor strong legal authority in your favor, will necessarily translate into a favorable result in your case.