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For Patricia K. Cookson, the "mommy track" led straight to the El Cajon Municipal Court.
Cookson knew she wanted to be a judge since she was a deputy district attorney in San Diego. She left the office to practice civil law and broaden her experience.
But in 1991, with a 1-year-old daughter and a baby on the way, she applied for the bench earlier than she had planned, because she believed a judgeship would give her more regular working hours.
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