Brown Taps Big Law Pipeline for Latest Trial Court Picks

Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday cast into a pool of Big Law partners to fill 25 vacancies on California trial courts.

Brown’s appointments include Jones Day partner Truc Do; Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe partner Thomas McConville; Irell & Manella partner Joseph Lipner; Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani partner James Reilly; and Audra Mori, managing partner of the Los Angeles office of Perkins Coie.

Brown named three attorneys to the Alameda County Superior Court: court commissioner Jason Clay; Gordon Rees partner James Reilly and court family law facilitator Amy Sekany. Leonard Marquez, a partner at Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean will join the Contra Costa County Superior Court bench. Timothy Schmal, a solo practitioner, was appointed to the Santa Cruz County Superior Court, and Sonoma County deputy district attorney Christopher Honigsberg was named to his local bench.

The governor also moved quickly to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Sixth District Court of Appeal Justice Conrad Rushing, who left in December shortly before a published report said he was facing allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination. Brown elevated Associate Justice Mary Greenwood, who was confirmed to the Sixth District court in San Jose last year.

Brown also nominated two Los Angeles County Superior Court judges to serve as justices on the Second District Court of Appeal. Helen Bendix would join the court’s Division One, if confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. Carl Moor would join the court’s Division Five.

Here are the names of all the trial court judges appointed by Brown on Tuesday:

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