New county judge among appointments announced by Newsom

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the appointment of 18 superior court judges on Friday. Bay Area appointments include one in Alameda County, one in Contra Costa County and one in Marin County. Each position pays about $238,000 per year.  

Alameda County resident Michael Risher was appointed as a judge for the Alameda County Superior Court. The position opened after the retirement of Judge Robert McGuiness.  

Risher has been a sole practitioner and of counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California since 2018. He worked at the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California as senior staff attorney from 2013 through 2018, and as a staff attorney there from 2006 to 2013.  

Risher served as deputy public defender at the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office from 1998 to 2005. He worked as a law clerk for Judge Karen Nelson Moore at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 1996 to 1997, before working as a legal affairs advisor for the Lindesmith Center from 1997 to 1998. Risher earned his Juris Doctor degree from Stanford Law School and served as a lecturer there in 2015 and 2023.  

He is registered as a Democrat.  

Contra Costa County resident Stephanie Clarke was appointed to serve as a judge on the Contra Costa County Superior Court. The position opened after the retirement of Judge Jill Fannin.  

Clarke has worked as a staff attorney at the First District Appellate Project since 2003, in addition to between 1991 and 1998, and was an adjunct professor of law and lecturer in law at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco from 1994 to 2022.  

Clarke served as the deputy state public defender in the Office of the State Public Defender from 1998 to 2003. She worked as a contract attorney for the Law Office of Cesari, Werner and Moriarty in 1991 and as an associate at Bledsoe, Cathcart, Leahy, Starr and Diestel from 1989 to 1991. Clarke was deputy state public defender at the Connecticut Office of the State Public Defender from 1987 to 1989. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law, and served as a lecturer there in 1998.  

She does not have a registered party preference. 

Marin County resident Ahtossa Fullerton was appointed to serve as a judge on the Marin County Superior Court. The position opened after the retirement of Judge Beverly Wood. 

Fullerton has worked as a partner at Wasacz Hilley & Fullerton LLP since 2010, and worked as a sole practitioner between 2005 and 2009. She worked as an associate at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP from 2000 to 2003 and at Lanahan & Reilley LLP from 1998 to 2000.  

Fullteron earned her Juris Doctor degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law while also earning a Master of Business Administration degree from the Santa Clara University School of Business. She finished both degrees in 1998.  

Fullerton is registered as a Democrat.