SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the appointment of 11 California superior court judges, which include: One in Contra Costa County; three in Los Angeles County; one in Mendocino County; one in Napa County; one in Riverside County; three in San Diego County; and one in Santa Clara County.
Contra Costa County Superior Court
Julia Campins, 39, of Moraga, has been appointed to a judgeship in Contra Costa County Superior Court. Campins has been president and a partner at Campins Benham-Baker since 2012. She was an associate at Lewis, Feinberg, Lee, Renaker and Jackson P.C. from 2007 to 2012. Campins was an equal justice litigation fellow at the Impact Fund from 2006 to 2007 and served as a law clerk for the Honorable Marsha S. Berzon at the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit from 2005 to 2006. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Lois H. Herrington. Campins is a Democrat.
Los Angeles County Superior Court
Steven A. Ellis, 55, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to a judgeship in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Ellis has been a partner at Goodwin Procter LLP since 2010. He was a partner at Sidley Austin LLP from 1999 to 2010, where he was an associate from 1993 to 1999. Ellis was associate counsel at the Office of the Iran-Contra Independent Counsel from 1992 to 1993 and served as a law clerk for the Honorable Douglas H. Ginsburg at the U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit from 1991 to 1992. 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 Margaret S. Henry. Ellis is a Democrat.
Esther P. Kim, 42, of Lakewood, has been appointed to a judgeship in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Kim has served as a deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General since 2006. She was counsel at the Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles from 2005 to 2006 and managing attorney at the Law Offices of Jay C. Hong from 2004 to 2005. Kim was an associate at the Law Offices of William C. Behrndt III and a sole practitioner in 2004. She was an associate at the Law Offices of Jason Hsu from 2003 to 2004. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Whittier Law School. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Bert Glennon. Kim is a Democrat.
Tricia J. Taylor, 39, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to a judgeship in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Taylor has served as a deputy district attorney at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office since 2007. She was a law clerk in the Law Offices of Marvyn B. Gordon and at the Children’s Law Center in 2004. Taylor earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Susan M. Speer. Taylor is a Democrat.
Mendocino County Superior Court
Victoria I. Shanahan, 50, of Windsor, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Mendocino County Superior Court. She has been a sole practitioner since 2015. Shanahan was an associate at Adams Fietz from 2014 to 2015 and served as a deputy district attorney at the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office from 2007 to 2014. She served as chief deputy district attorney at the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office from 2002 to 2007. Shanahan earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Empire College School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge David A. Riemenschneider. Shanahan is a Democrat.
Napa County Superior Court
Joseph J. Solga, 54, of Napa, has been appointed to a judgeship in Napa County Superior Court. Solga has served as a deputy public defender at the Napa County Public Defender’s Office since 2002. He served as an assistant city attorney at the Park City, Utah City Attorney’s Office from 2000 to 2002. Solga served as a deputy public defender at the Placer County Public Defender’s Office from 1999 to 2000 and as a deputy district attorney at the Placer County District Attorney’s Office from 1998 to 1999. He was a deputy public defender at the Southern Oregon Public Defender’s Office from 1994 to 1998. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Oregon School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Diane M. Price. Solga is a Democrat.
Riverside County Superior Court
Carol A. Greene, 55, of Riverside, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Riverside County Superior Court. Greene has served as a supervising deputy county counsel at the San Bernardino County Counsel’s Office since 2016, where she was a deputy county counsel from 1996 2016. She was an associate at Thompson and Colegate from 1989 to 1996. Greene earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Iowa College of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Sharon J. Waters. Greene is a Democrat.
San Diego County Superior Court
Olga Álvarez, 50, of San Diego, has been appointed to a judgeship in the San Diego County Superior Court. Álvarez has been a shareholder and attorney at Heisner Álvarez since 2013 and is a certified specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law. She served as an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego School of Law from 2016 to 2018 and was of counsel at Sullivan Hill Rez & Engel from 2010 to 2013. Álvarez was an associate at Achtel Law Firm from 2006 to 2010 and at Atkins & Davidson, APC from 2005 to 2006. She was an associate at Larrabee Albi Coker LLP from 2003 to 2004 and at the Law Offices of Jan Joseph Bejar from 2002 to 2003. Álvarez earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and a Master of Public Affairs degree from the University of Texas at Austin, LBJ School of Public Affairs. She was president of the Lawyers Club of San Diego from 2017 to 2018. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Leo Valentine. Álvarez is a Democrat.
Judy S. Bae, 45, of San Diego, has been appointed to a judgeship in the San Diego County Superior Court. Bae has been an associate at Miller, Monson, Peshel, Polacek & Hoshaw since 2005. She was an associate at Horton, Oberrecht, Kirkpatrick & Martha from 2002 to 2005. Bae earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Charles R. Gill. Bae is a Democrat.
Terrie E. Roberts, 54, of Chula Vista, has been appointed to a judgeship in the San Diego County Superior Court. Roberts has served as a commissioner at the San Diego County Superior Court since 2008. She served as a deputy district attorney at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office from 2001 to 2008 and was a sole practitioner from 1996 to 2001.Roberts was an associate at the Law Offices of Beatrice W. Kemp from 1995 to 1996 and served as a deputy public defender at the San Diego Public Defender’s Office from 1992 to 1995. Roberts earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Gerald C. Jessop. Roberts is a Democrat.
Santa Clara County Superior Court
Johnny Cepeda Gogo, 51, of San Jose, has been appointed to a judgeship in the Santa Clara County Superior Court. Gogo has served as a deputy district attorney at the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office since 2001. He was an associate at Calvo and Clark LLP from 2000 to 2001. Gogo served as a deputy district attorney at the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office from 1999 to 2000 and was a volunteer attorney at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office in 1999. He served as an assistant attorney general at the Office of the Attorney General of Guam in 1999 and from 1997 to 1998. Gogo earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Hector E. Ramon. Gogo is a Democrat.
The compensation for each of these positions is $213,833.
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