SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the appointment of Firdaus F. Dordi, Mark H. Epstein, Ruben N. Garcia, Gary I. Micon, Kevin S. Rosenberg and P. Tamu Usher to judgeships in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Dordi, 46, of Los Angeles, has been a partner, co-founder and attorney at Dordi, Williams, Cohen LLP since 2014. He served as a deputy federal public defender at the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California from 2000 to 2014 and as a law clerk for the Honorable Robert M. Takasugi at the U.S. District Court, Central District of California from 1998 to 2000. He was a research attorney for the Honorable Thomas I. McKnew, Jr. at the Los Angeles County Superior Court from 1997 to 1998 and a contract attorney at the Law Offices of Feldman and Levy from 1996 to 1997. Dordi earned a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Allan J. Goodman. Dordi is a Democrat.
Epstein, 57, of Los Angeles, has been a partner at Munger, Tolles and Olson LLP since 1993, where he was an associate from 1988 to 1992. He served as law clerk for the Honorable William J. Brennan, Jr. at the U.S. Supreme Court from 1987 to 1988, for the Honorable Edward A. Panelli at the California Supreme Court from 1986 to 1987 and for the Honorable Stanley A. Weigel at the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California from 1985 to 1986. Epstein earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Thomas I. McKnew. Epstein is a Democrat.
Garcia, 48, of Monrovia, has served as a deputy public defender at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office since 1995. He was an associate at Rushfeldt, Shelley and Drake LLP in 1994 and at Bonne, Bridges, Mueller, O’Keefe and Nichols from 1993 to 1994. Garcia earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Richard A. Stone. Garcia is a Democrat.
Micon, 59, of Simi Valley, has served as a lead appellate attorney at the Second District Court of Appeal since 2014, where he was a senior judicial attorney from 1993 to 2014. He was an associate at Morris and Spencer in 1992 and a sole practitioner from 1990 to 1992. Micon was senior litigation associate at Finkle, Hersh and Stoll from 1988 to 1990 and an associate at Ball, Hunt, Hart, Brown and Baerwitz from 1985 to 1988. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Northridge. Micon fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Elia Weinbach. He is a Democrat.
Rosenberg, 47, of Los Angeles, has been of counsel at Lowenstein and Weatherwax LLP since 2014. He served as a supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California from 2010 to 2014, where he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2000 to 2007. Rosenberg served as appellate government counsel in the Navy-Marine Corps Appellate Review Activity for the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps from 1998 to 2000, where he also served as legal assistance attorney and defense counsel in the Trial Service Office and Naval Legal Service Office Pacific from 1995 to 1997. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from San Diego State University. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Reva G. Goetz. Rosenberg is a Democrat.
Usher, 47, of Altadena, has served as a deputy district attorney at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office since 1999. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Howard University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Long Beach. Usher fills the vacancy created by the death of Judge Ellen C. DeShazer. She is a Democrat.
The compensation for each of these positions is $191,612.