Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar is leaving California Supreme Court

California Supreme Court Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar is leaving to become the new president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

His last day on the court will be Oct. 31, a court spokesman confirmed. Cuéllar will start his new position the following day.

Cuéllar, who was born in Mexico and lived with his family in Texas until moving to California when he was 14, said he was "honored" by the appointment in a press release.

"I have been fortunate to serve the people of California for nearly seven years on our highest court - a distinction I could not have imagined when I first arrived here as a high school student in the Imperial Valley," he wrote in a statement.

"I will miss the wisdom and generosity of my colleagues as we've sought to honor our society's commitment to impartial justice in a vast and diverse state," Cuéllar added.

Cuéllar is a former Stanford Law School professor who previously worked as a special assistant to the president for justice and regulatory policy during the Obama administration.

He is married to U.S. District Judge Lucy H. Koh of San Jose. She was nominated last week by President Joseph R. Biden for a position on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The couple has two children.

Cuéllar's departure will leave another vacancy for Gov. Gavin Newsom to fill. The governor previously appointed Martin J. Jenkins, a former state and federal judge, last year.