New Justices!

 Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his nomination of four Court of Appeal Justices: Justice Tracie L. Brown as Presiding Justice of the First District Court of Appeal, Division Four; Judge Tari Cody as an Associate Justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Six; Judge Audra Mori as an Associate Justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Four; and Judge Julia Kelety as an Associate Justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One.

First District Court of Appeal
 

Justice Tracie L. Brown, 51, of San Francisco County, has been nominated to serve as Presiding Justice of the First District Court of Appeal, Division Four, where she has served as an Associate Justice since 2018. Justice Brown served as a Judge at the San Francisco County Superior Court from 2013 to 2018. She served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California from 2002 to 2013 and was an Associate at Cooley Godward Kronish LLP from 1997 to 2002. Justice Brown served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable M. Margaret McKeown at the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit from 1998 to 1999 and was an Associate at Morrison and Foerster LLP from 1996 to 1997. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. Justice Brown fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Presiding Justice Stuart R. Pollak. 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 Jim Humes. She is a Democrat.

Second District Court of Appeal
 

Judge Tari Cody, 63, of Ventura County, has been nominated to serve as an Associate Justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Six. She has served as a Judge at the Ventura County Superior Court since 2000. Judge Cody was an Associate at Lemieux & O’Neill from 1994 to 2000. She was an Associate and Partner at Nordman, Cormany, Hair & Compton from 1985 to 1994. Judge Cody earned a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Steven Z. Perren. 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. She is a Democrat.
 

Judge Audra Mori, 55, 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 at the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2018. Judge Mori was Managing Partner of the Los Angeles Office of Perkins Coie LLP from 2017 to 2018, where she was a Partner from 2005 to 2018. She was a Partner at Piper Rudnick LLP from 2002 to 2004 and at Preston, Gates and Ellis LLP in 2002, where she was an Associate from 1998 to 2001. Judge Mori was an Associate at Andrews Kurth LLP from 1996 to 1998 and served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Richard W. Goldberg at the U.S. Court of International Trade from 1994 to 1996. She was an Associate at Brobeck, Phleger and Harrison from 1992 to 1994. Mori earned a Juris Doctor degree from Cornell Law School. Judge Mori fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Thomas Willhite. 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. She is registered without party preference.

Fourth District Court of Appeal
 

 

Judge Julia Kelety, 62, of San Diego County, has been nominated to serve as an Associate Justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One. She has served as a Judge at the San Diego County Superior Court since 2003. Judge Kelety was a Partner and Associate at Wiggins & Kelety LLP from 1997 to 2003. She served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California from 1990 to 1997 and was an Associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher from 1986 to 1990. Judge Kelety served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Mary M. Schroeder at the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit from 1985 to 1986. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Cornell Law School. Judge Kelety fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Justice Patricia Guerrero to the California Supreme Court. 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 Manuel A. Ramirez. She is a Democrat.
The compensation for each of these positions is $264,542.