Commission on Judicial Appointments
Monday July 10, 2023
10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Commission to Consider Appointments to Courts of Appeal

The live webcast will begin on July 10 at 10 a.m. here.

Public documents on the appointees are available here.

SAN FRANCISCO—The Commission on Judicial Appointments will hold public hearings on July 10 starting at 10 a.m. to consider four appellate court appointments by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Beginning at 10 a.m. in the Supreme Court Courtroom—located on the fourth floor of 350 McAllister Street in San Francisco—the commission will consider the appointments of:

  • Justice Laurie Earl as presiding justice of the Third District Court of Appeal (Sacramento)
     
  • Gonzalo Martinez as associate justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Seven (Los Angeles)

The commission will also hold remote hearings starting at 1 p.m. to consider the appointments of:

  • Justice Brian Currey as presiding justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Four (Los Angeles)
     
  • Judge Helen Zukin as associate justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Four (Los Angeles)

Seating in the courtroom will be limited—with some overflow seating also available in the Milton Marks Auditorium—and any mask requirements will be enforced as may be required by state and local health directives in effect at the time of the hearing. The hearing will be webcast live on the California Courts Newsroom.

The state Constitution specifies that a gubernatorial appointment to the Court of Appeal is effective when confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments.

The commission members who will consider the appointment are California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero (Chair); California Attorney General Rob Bonta; and Acting Presiding Justice Ronald Robie (for the Third Appellate District hearing), and Presiding Justice Arthur Gilbert (who will appear remotely for the hearings).

Appointee Biographies

Justice Laurie Earl would fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Presiding Justice Vance W. Raye. Justice Earl has served as an associate justice of the Third District Court of Appeal since 2022. She served as a Sacramento County Superior Court judge from 2005 to 2021. Justice Earl was senior assistant inspector general at the California Office of Inspector General from 2004 to 2005 and a deputy district attorney at the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office from 1995 to 2004. She served as an assistant public defender at the Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office from 1989 to 1995. Justice Earl earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Lincoln Law School of Sacramento.

Gonzalo Martinez would fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Laurie D. Zelon. Martinez has served as deputy judicial appointments secretary in the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom since 2019. He served as a deputy solicitor general in the California Attorney General’s Office from 2017 to 2019 and was a partner in the Appellate and Supreme Court Practice Group at Squire Patton Boggs from 2007 to 2017 and in 2019. Martinez served as a law clerk at the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California in 2010 and at the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California in 2007. Martinez was an associate at Coblentz Patch Duffy and Bass from 2005 to 2007 and at Morrison & Foerster LLP from 2003 to 2005. Martinez earned a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School and a Master of Arts degree in English from Stanford University.

Justice Brian Currey would fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Presiding Justice Nora Manella. Justice Currey has served as an associate justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Four since 2018. He previously served as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge 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 also an associate from 1981 to 1989. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Judge Helen Zukin would fill the vacancy created pending confirmation of Justice Brian Currey as presiding justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Four. Judge Zukin has served as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge 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 also 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.

Testimony and Comment

Requests to testify or written comments on the appointment must be received by the commission no later than 5 p.m. June 30 (five court days prior to hearing). Anyone wishing to testify before the commission must state that request in writing and include a summary of the facts on which any testimony or opinion will be based.

Submissions via email to coja@jud.ca.gov are strongly encouraged. Hard copies are not required.

If you would like to mail your request, you may also reach the commission at:

Commission on Judicial Appointments
c/o Chief Justice of California
Supreme Court of California
350 McAllister Street
San Francisco, California 94102
Attention: Secretary to the Commission

Guidelines for the Commission on Judicial Appointments are published in the appendix to the California Rules of Court and are posted on the California Courts website.

Location

Commission to Consider Appointments to Courts of Appeal

Commission to Consider Appointments to Courts of Appeal

Supreme Court Courtroom
350 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States

Supreme Court Courtroom

350 McAllister Street

San Francisco CA 94102

United States