GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM recently announced the appointment of seven new Superior Court judges in three Bay Area counties, including Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara.
Alameda County
In Alameda County, Newsom tapped Diane Meier, who worked as an attorney in the First District Court of Appeal since 2018 and was a senior staff attorney in the Solano County Superior Court from 2010 to 2018, according to the governor’s office.
Meier, a Democrat, earned a law degree from the Washington and Lee University School of Law in Virginia. Meier takes over for judge Charles Smiley, who now sits on the First District Court of Appeal.
Julie Wilensky was also appointed as an Alameda County Superior Court judge. Wilensky worked as a deputy city attorney at the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office since 2022 and was a senior staff attorney at the National Center for Lesbian Rights from 2018 to 2022, among other things.
Wilensky, a Democrat, earned her law degree from Yale Law School and takes over for judge Noel Wise, who was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
The third person appointed to Alameda County Superior Court is Cara Sandberg, who worked as deputy county counsel for the Santa Clara County Counsel’s Office since 2023 and worked at Conrad Metlitzky Kane LLP from 2022 to 2023, among other things.
Sandberg, a Democrat, earned her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and fills the vacancy left by Ursula Jones Dickson, who left the court after being appointed the new Alameda County district attorney.
San Mateo County
In San Mateo County, Newsom appointed Michael Mau, who was a commissioner at the San Mateo County Superior Court since 2022 and ran his own law firm from 1999 to 2022, among other things.
Mau earned his law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law and takes over for judge Jonathan Karesh, who retired. Mau is registered to vote with no party preference.
Santa Clara County
In Santa Clara County, Newsom selected Kemi Mustapha, who was a managing attorney since 2024 at Bay Area Legal Aid, where she held several positions since 2012. She also worked as an employee relations representative at the San Francisco Department of Human Resources from 2011 to 2012.
Mustapha, a Democrat, earned her law degree from the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis and replaces judge Maureen Folan, who retired.
Newsom also appointed Sarah Cook to serve as a judge in the Santa Clara County Superior Court system. Cook worked as the director of policy and legal services at the Dependency Advocacy Center since 2023, where she has held multiple positions since 2013.
Cook earned her law degree from Washington University School of Law and takes over for judge L. Michael Clark, who retired. Cook is a Democrat.
Newsom’s third Santa Clara County Superior Court judicial appointment is Mark Flanagan, who worked as a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr from 2006 to 2025 and as a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law from 2017 to 2019, among other things.
Flanagan earned his law degree from the UC Berkeley School of Law and takes over for retired judge Arthur Bocanegra. Flanagan is a Democrat.
Newsom’s office said “the compensation” each will receive is $244,727, but didn’t say if that number only accounts for their salary or if it includes the value of other benefits, as well.