PVE Attorney Appointed to Judgeship

A Palos Verdes Estates attorney is among the 11 lawyers appointed toTwo Los Angeles County prosecutors and two court commissioners are among 11 lawyers appointed to judgeships by Gov. Jerry Brown, his office announced today.

The appointees, all Democrats, will fill vacancies arising from the departures of nine sitting judges and other openings.

Robert B. Broadbelt III, 53, of Palos Verdes Estates, will fill the seat of retired Judge Maral Injejikian.

He graduated from USC's Gould School of Law and earned his undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley.

Lori R. Behar, 59, of Manhattan Beach, was appointed to fill the seat of retired Judge Marjorie S. Steinberg.

Behar, who has been a court commissioner for the county since 2006, holds a law degree from Loyola Law School and an undergraduate degree from UCLA.

Daniel L. Brenner, 61, of Washington, D.C., will fill the vacancy left by the conversion of commissioner position.

Brenner has been a partner at Hogan Lovells since 2009, previously serving as senior vice president of the law and regulatory department at the National Cable and Telecommunications Association. He holds both a law degree and an undergraduate degree from Stanford University.

Patrick A. Cathcart, 67, of Pasadena, was appointed to fill the seat of retired Judge Judith L. Champagne.

He was a partner at Cathcart Collins from 2005 to 2008 and previously served as a partner at Hancock Rothert and Bunshoft. He holds a law degree from Hastings College and an undergraduate degree from Stanford University.

Annabelle G. Cortez, 43, of Glendale, will fill the seat of retired Judge John P. Shook.

She has been a lawyer at the Administrative Office of the Courts since 2007, and also worked as western regional counsel at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

She holds a law degree from Hastings College of the Law and an undergraduate degree from UC San Diego.

Robert S. Draper, 70, of Pacific Palisades, will fill the seat of retired Judge Jacqueline A. Connor.

He has been a private attorney since 2005, and previously spent 44 years at O'Melveny and Myers. Draper holds both a law degree and an undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley.

Marc D. Gross, 56, of Los Angeles, was appointed to fill the seat of retired Judge Peter D. Lichtman.

Gross, an attorney and principal at Gross and Gross since 1982, holds a law degree from Gould School of Law and an undergraduate degree from UCLA.

Joseph R. Porras, 40, of Whittier, will fill the vacancy arising from the conversion of commissioner position.

He has been a prosecutor in the hardcore gang division of the District Attorney's Office since 1999. He holds a law degree from Loyola Law School and an undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley.

Tony L. Richardson, 57, of San Marino, will fill the seat of retired Judge Michael A. Latin.

Richardson has been a litigation and arbitration partner at SNR Denton US since 2010. Before that, he was a litigation partner at Reed Smith from 2008 to 2010 and an associate and partner at Kirkland and Ellis from 1990 to 2007.

Richardson holds a law degree from Stanford Law School and an undergraduate degree from Harvard College.

Michael J. Shultz, 47, of Los Angeles, who was appointed to fill the seat of retired Judge Martha E. Bellinger, has worked as a Superior Court commissioner since 2009. Shultz previously taught at Loyola Law School, his alma mater.

Lynne Hobbs Smith, 47, of Los Angeles, who has been a county prosecutor since 1995, will fill the seat of retired Judge Burt Pines.

She holds a law degree from Columbia University School of Law and an undergraduate degree from Spelman College.

Each new judicial officer will be paid $178,789 annually.