Governor Newsom Appoints 15 Superior Court Judges 8.28.20

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SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the appointment of 15 California superior court judges, which include 7 in Los Angeles County, one in Riverside County, two in Sacramento County, one in San Bernardino County, one in San Francisco County, one in Santa Clara County, one in Shasta County and one in Ventura County.

Los Angeles County Superior Court

Lee S. Arian, 57, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Arian has been a partner at Nelson Hardiman since 2017. He was vice president of advisory services at Optum Inc. from 2015 to 2017 and staff vice president at Anthem Inc. from 2004 to 2015. He served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California from 1991 to 2004 and was an associate at Dewey Ballantine from 1988 to 1991. Arian earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Scott M. Gordon. Arian is a Democrat.

Lee R. Bogdanoff, 59, of Santa Monica, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Bogdanoff was of counsel at Klee, Tuchin, Bogdanoff & Stern LLP from 2017 to 2019, where he was managing and founding partner from 1999 to 2017. He held several positions at Stutman, Triester & Glatt PC from 1986 to 1999, including associate, partner and senior partner. Bogdanoff served as a law clerk for Judge David Thompson at the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit from 1985 to 1986. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Bradley S. Silverman. Bogdanoff is registered without party preference.

Adam Y. Chang, 43, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Chang has been a founding partner at Kundani Chang Khinda Wilson LLP since 2014. He served as a deputy district attorney at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office from 2007 to 2014. Chang earned a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Southern California. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Georgina T. Rizk. Chang is a Democrat.

Katherine Chilton, 61, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Chilton has been director of content litigation at Netflix Inc. since 2017. She held several positions at Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. from 1993 to 2017, including vice president and senior litigation counsel. Chilton was an associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP from 1987 to 1993 and at Kirkland & Ellis LLP from 1985 to 1987. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Iowa College of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Marvin M. Lager. Chilton is a Democrat.

Karen Moskowitz, 63, of Studio City, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Moskowitz has been a sole practitioner since 2003. She was a partner at Margolis and Morin LLP from 1995 to 2003. Moskowitz earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position on December 17, 2019. Moskowitz is a Democrat.

Leonard Torrealba, 60, of Altadena, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Torrealba has served as a deputy district attorney at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office since 1986. He has been an adjunct professor of law at Southwestern Law School since 2018. Torrealba earned a Juris Doctor degree from George Washington University Law School. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Edward A. Ferns. Torrealba is a Democrat.

Jeanmarie Klingenbeck Warren, 57, of Long Beach, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Warren has served as head deputy public defender at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office since 2017, where she has held several positions since 1989, including deputy public defender, deputy in charge of the Bellflower Branch and law clerk. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Warren fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Katherine Mader. She is a Democrat.

Riverside County Superior Court

Jeffrey M. Zimel, 54, of Temecula, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Riverside County Superior Court. Zimel has served as deputy public defender at the Riverside County Public Defender’s Office since 2011, where he has been a supervisor since 2013. He was a sole practitioner from 1998 to 2011 and served as a deputy public defender at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office from 1991 to 1998. Zimel earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael B. Donner. Zimel is a Democrat.

Sacramento County Superior Court

Deborah D. Lobre, 59, of Elk Grove, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Sacramento County Superior Court. Lobre has served as an administrative law judge for the California Department of Social Services since 2012. She served as a deputy district attorney at the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office from 1997 to 2012, where she was a supervising family support specialist from 1991 to 1997. Lobre earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Northern California, Lorenzo Patino School of Law. She fills the vacancy of a new position created on September 24, 2019. Lobre is a Democrat.

Kara K. Ueda, 45, of Davis, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Sacramento County Superior Court. Ueda has been a partner at Best Best & Krieger LLP since 2010. She was an adjunct professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law from 2012 to 2019. Ueda held several positions at McDonough Holland & Allen PC from 2002 to 2010, including associate and partner. She was a fellow and deputy general counsel at the League of California Cities from 2000 to 2001. Ueda earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law. She fills the vacancy of a new position created on September 24, 2019. She is a Democrat.

San Bernardino County Superior Court

Joseph B. Widman, 43, of Sierra Madre, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the San Bernardino County Superior Court. Widman has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California since 2007, where he has been chief of the Riverside Office since 2014. He was an adjunct professor at the University of La Verne College of Law in 2017 and an associate at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP from 2006 to 2007. Widman was an associate at Latham & Watkins LLP from 2001 to 2006. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law. He fills the vacancy of a new position created on September 24, 2019. Widman is a Democrat.

San Francisco County Superior Court

Russell S. Roeca, 66, of San Francisco, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the San Francisco County Superior Court. Roeca has been a partner at Roeca Haas Montes De Oca LLP since 2000. He was a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP from 1998 to 2000 and held several positions at Long & Levit LLP from 1985 to 1998, including associate and partner. Roeca was an associate at Alborg Bothel & Dictor in 1985, at Glynn & Harvey from 1982 to 1985 and at Bostwick & Tehin from 1981 to 1982. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Roeca fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Carol C. Yaggy. He is a Democrat.

Santa Clara County Superior Court

Luis M. Ramos, 53, of San Jose, has been appointed to serve in an interim appointment as a judge in the Santa Clara County Superior Court. Ramos has served as a deputy district attorney at the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office since 1999. He served as an assistant district attorney at the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office from 1995 to 1999. Ramos was an associate at Morales, Castro, Herrera and Campos, Attorneys at Law in 1995 and served as a law clerk at the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office from 1994 to 1995. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Boston University School of Law. Ramos was elected in March 2020 to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Sharon Chatman. The Governor’s appointment allows him to immediately assume the position he was otherwise elected to begin in January, 2021. He is a Democrat.

Shasta County Superior Court

Summer D. Ryan, 41, of Redding, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Shasta County Superior Court. Ryan has served as general counsel at the Shasta County Superior Court since 2014, where she was a research attorney from 2010 to 2014. She was an associate at Maire & Beasley from 2007 to 2010. Ryan earned a Juris Doctor degree from the California Western School of Law. She fills the vacancy of a new position created on September 24, 2019. Ryan is a Democrat.

Ventura County Superior Court

Charmaine H. Buehner, 46, of Ventura, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Ventura County Superior Court. Buehner has served as assistant county counsel in the Ventura County Counsel’s Office since 2012. She was an associate at Myers Widders, Gibson, Jones & Feingold LLP from 2009 to 2012 and a partner at Fleming PC from 2008 to 2009. Buehner was a senior associate at Baker & McKenzie LLP from 2005 to 2008 and an associate at Klinedinst PC from 2002 to 2005. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the American University, Washington College of Law. Buehner fills the vacancy of a new position created on September 24, 2019. She is registered without party preference.

The compensation for each of these positions is $214,601.

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