SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom May 19 announced his nomination of three Court of Appeal Justices: Justice Brian Currey as Presiding Justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, division four; Judge Helen Zukin as an associate justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, division four; and Judge Martha Gooding as an associate justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, division three.
The Governor also announced his appointment of 27 Superior Court Judges, which include seven in Los Angeles County which you can find below.
Second District Court of Appeal
Justice Brian Currey, of Los Angeles County, has been nominated to serve as presiding Justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, division four, where he has served as an associate justice since 2018. He served as a judge at the Los Angeles County Superior Court from 2014 to 2018. Justice Currey was of counsel at O’Melveny and Myers LLP from 2013 to 2014. He served as deputy mayor for economic and business policy in the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office in 2013 and was counsel to the mayor from 2010 to 2013. Justice Currey was a partner at O’Melveny and Myers LLP from 1989 to 2010, where he was an associate from 1981 to 1989. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. Justice Currey fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Presiding Justice Nora Manella. This position requires confirmation by the commission on judicial appointments, which consists of Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, Attorney General Rob Bonta and Senior Presiding Justice Arthur Gilbert. Justice Currey is a Democrat.
Judge Helen Zukin, of Los Angeles County, has been nominated to serve as an associate justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, division four. She has served as a judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2018. Judge Zukin was a partner at Kiesel Law LLP from 2010 to 2018, where she was of counsel from 2006 to 2010. She was a sole practitioner from 1995 to 2006 and a partner at Simke, Chodos, Silberfeld and Anteau Inc. from 1992 to 1995, where she was an associate from 1990 to 1992. Judge Zukin was an associate at Greene, O’Reilly, Agnew and Broillet from 1985 to 1990. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. She is being nominated to fill the vacancy that will be created pending confirmation of Justice Brian Currey’s nomination as presiding justice of the second district Court of Appeal, division four. This position requires confirmation by the commission on judicial appointments, which consists of Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, Attorney General Rob Bonta and Senior Presiding Justice Arthur Gilbert. Judge Zukin is a Democrat.
Los Angeles County Superior Court
Jerrold Abeles, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Abeles has been a partner at ArentFox Schiff LLP since 2007. He was a partner at O’Brien Abeles LLP from 2002 to 2006 and an associate at LeBoeuf Lamb Greene & MacRae LLP from 1988 to 2002. Abeles earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Dorothy Reyes. Abeles is a Democrat.
Sonia Govea, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Govea has served as a deputy district attorney at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office since 2007. She was an attorney at the Law Offices of Antonio Govea from 2003 to 2007. Govea earned a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School. She fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Gregory Weingart to the Court of Appeal. Govea is a Democrat.
Diana Tsang, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Tsang has served as a deputy public defender at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office since 2003. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. Tsang fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Carlos Vazquez. She is a Democrat.
David Wasserman, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Wasserman has served as a supervising deputy federal public defender at the Office of the Federal Public Defender, central district of California since 2018, where he was a deputy federal public defender from 2012 to 2018. He served as an attorney at the San Bernardino County Public Defender’s Office from 2011 to 2012 and was a law clerk there from 2010 to 2011. Wasserman 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 Jesus Rodriguez. Wasserman is a Democrat.
Ryan White, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. White has been a partner at Halpern May Ybarra Gelberg LLP since 2020, and has been an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School since 2014. White served as an assistant U.S. attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, central district of California from 2011 to 2020, including as chief and deputy chief of the cyber and intellectual property crimes section. He was an Associate at Latham & Watkins LLP from 2008 to 2010. White 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 Mark Mooney. White is a Democrat.
Ryan Williams, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Williams has served as a deputy district attorney at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office since 2007. He was an associate at Lightfoot, Vandevelde from 2002 to 2007 and a law Ccerk for the Honorable Patrick J. Walsh at the U.S. District Court, central district of California from 2001 to 2002. Williams earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Victor Viramontes to the Court of Appeal. Williams is a Libertarian.
Lynette Gridiron Winston, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. She has served as a commissioner at the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2021. Gridiron Winston was a senior associate at Tung & Associates in 2021 and a contract attorney at Robert Half Legal from 2020 to 2021. She was of counsel at Anglin Flewelling Rasmussen Campbell & Trytten LLP from 2008 to 2020 and an attorney at the Law Office of Lynette M. Gridiron & Black Law Institute from 1995 to 2008. She was an associate at Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker from 1990 to 1995. Gridiron Winston earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Gloria White-Brown. Gridiron Winston is a Democrat.