San Diego Criminal Justice Memorial
Honorees
A memorial directory honoring deceased judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys who advanced criminal justice in San Diego County.
Leslie Jane Hahn
1960-2006
Born in December 1960, Jane Hahn passed away in July 2006. She was born in Duluth, Minnesota as Leslie Jane Smith, but grew up in the State of Washington. She was a natural athlete, and in high school was rated the number one female swimmer in the 100-yard freestyle in the nation. She attended Harvard University, where she was an All American swimmer and graduated with high honors. Thereafter, she attended the University of Chicago Law School, where she met her future husband, and graduated in 1986.
She started her legal career at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher. After several years, she was appointed Assistant United States Attorney in 1990, and she served in that office until 1994. She thereafter returned to private practice with Hovey, Kirby & Thornton, defending both civil and criminal cases. She was described by her associates and adversaries as a dynamic and fearless trial lawyer. Hahn was extremely conscientious. She tried several very difficult, complex fraud cases, and was thoroughly respected by the judges in front of whom she tried cases both as a prosecutor and defense attorney. After her work as a prosecutor, she very ably defended white collar crimes and handled Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement actions.
She died at the young age of 45. She never allowed personal considerations to enter into her professional responsibilities, even during her final and untimely illness. She continued her representations and never diminished her responsibility and obligations to her clients. She is recognized as outstanding by her peers – the highest accolade one can receive in their professional life. Her untimely passing was mourned by the entire bench and bar of San Diego.