Welcome to the Bench Fall 2024

Congratulations to the following judges who are new to the bench in the summer/fall of 2024:

Chris Darnall, Alaska, Anchorage District Court
Thomas V. Jamgochian, Alaska, Palmer Superior Court
William T. Montgomery, Alaska, Bethel Superior Court
Larry Raymond Woolford, Alaska, Juneau Superior Court

Sandra Bensley, Arizona, Pima County Superior Court

Judge Tara Desautels, California First District Court of Appeal, Division Two
Justice Gonzalo Martinez, California Second District Court of Appeal, Division Seven
Judge Natalie P. Stone, California Second Appellate District, Division Seven

Dina M. Christiansen, Colorado, 13th Judicial District
Billy-George Hertzke, Colorado, 14th Judicial District
Pamela E. Johnston, Colorado, Kiowa County Court, 15th Judicial District
Michael T. Kotlarczyk, Colorado, 20th Judicial District
Ian J. MacLaren, Colorado, Montezuma County Court, 22nd Judicial District
Laura C. Makar, Colorado, 9th Judicial District
Christine A. Washburn, Colorado, 18th Judicial District
Sara E. Zane, Colorado, 4th Judicial District

Thomas Pederson, Delaware, Court of Common Pleas, Sussex County

Judge Deborah Cunningham, 20th Circuit Court of Florida

Carolyn “Tippi” Burch, Georgia, Chattahoochee Judicial District Superior Court

Michelle N. Comeau, Hawaii, District Court of the First Circuit

Cynthia Meyer, Idaho Supreme Court
Michael Tribe, Idaho Court of Appeals

Nicolas J. Boileau, Illinois Fifth Judicial Circuit
Celia Gamrath, Illinois, 1st District Appellate Court
John P. Hackett, Illinois Third Judicial Circuit
Rachel B. Mast, Illinois Ninth Judicial Circuit
Raymond P. McSteen, Illinois, Twelfth Judicial Circuit
Gregory Michael Minger, Illinois Eleventh Judicial Circuit
Kelly R. Phelps, Illinois First Judicial Circuit
Michael P. Zasadil, Illinois Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit

Mary DeBoer, Indiana Court of Appeals, 4th District
Janette Surrisi, Indiana, Marshall County Circuit Court
Nathan Meeks, Indiana, Grant County Superior Court

Donna Bothwell, Iowa, district judge in Judicial District 4
Susan Cole, Iowa, district associate judge in Judicial District 8A
Michelle Jungers, Iowa, district associate judge in Judicial District 1B
Jeffrey McDaniel, Iowa, district judge in Judicial District 7
Mark Milder, Iowa, district associate judge Judicial District 2A
Adam Miller, Iowa, district court judge in Judicial District 3A
Elizabeth O’Donnell Reist, Iowa, district judge in Judicial District 7
Ashley West-Joons, Iowa, district associate judge in Judicial District 4
Melinda Wicks, Iowa, district associate judge in Judicial District 3B

Lisa Payne Jones, Kentucky Court of Appeals

Gabrielle R. Wolohojian, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Adrienne N. Young, Michigan Court of Appeals

Justice Theodora Gaïtas, Minnesota Supreme Court
JaPaul Harris, Minnesota Court of Appeals
Sarah Hennesy, Minnesota Supreme Court
Michael Leeser, Minnesota 7th Judicial District
Ole Tvedten, Minnesota 7th Judicial District

Wes Curry IV, Mississippi, 12th Circuit Court of Forrest and Perry counties
Lisa Beech McGloflin, Mississippi, Pearl River County Court
Austin Terry, Chancellor, Mississippi, 12th Chancery District

Blane Baker, Missouri, associate circuit judge for St. Clair County, 27th Judicial Circuit
Cynthia R. Black, Missouri, associate circuit judge for Webster County, 30th Judicial Circuit
William M. Byrnes, Missouri, associate circuit judge, 11th Judicial Circuit
Nicole M. Carlton, Missouri, associate circuit judge, 29th Judicial Circuit
Denise L. Childress, Missouri, associate circuit judge, 11th Judicial Circuit
Micha L. Dixon, Missouri, associate circuit judge for Daviess County, 32rd Judicial Circuit
Brendon Fox, Missouri, circuit judge, 25th Judicial Circuit
Andres J. Hardwick, Missouri, circuit judge, 26th Judicial Circuit
Kevin S. Hillman, Missouri, associate circuit judge for Pulaski County, 25th Judicial Circuit
Peter A. Lassiter, Missouri, associate circuit judge, 11th judicial circuit
Benjamin J. Miller, Missouri, circuit judge, 13th Judicial Circuit
Joseph A. Murray III, Missouri, associate circuit judge for St. Francois County, 24th Judicial Circuit
Patrick E. Richmond, Missouri, associate circuit judge, 22nd Judicial Circuit
Joseph L. Shetler, Missouri, associate circuit judge, 19th Judicial Circuit
Alex T. Van Zandt, Missouri, associate circuit judge for Mercer County, 3rd Judicial Circuit
Jonathan A. Yelton, Missouri, associate circuit judge for Warren County, 12th Judicial Circuit

John A. Mercer, Montana, Twentieth Judicial District Court

Erika Mendoza, Nevada, Eighth Judicial District
Tina Talim, Nevada, Eighth Judicial District

Diana Garcia, New Mexico Second Judicial District
Bradley Keeler, New Mexico Eleventh Judicial District

B. Ashley Andrews, North Carolina, Judicial District 27
Juanita Boger-Allen, North Carolina, Judicial District 25
Keven Boxberger, North Carolina Judicial District 10
Holden Clark, North Carolina Judicial District 38
Christopher Gray, North Carolina, Judicial District 30
Alexandria Leake, North Carolina District Court Judge for District 35
Yohan Namkung, North Carolina, Judicial District 29
Bryan Norris, North Carolina, Judicial District 17
Kristy L. Parton, North Carolina, Judicial District 43
Jason Ramey, North Carolina, supreme Court, District 22
Alicia Slaughter, North Carolina, Judicial District 8
Augustus Willis, North Carolina, superior court, District 4
Angela Woods, North Carolina, Judicial District 39

Rebecca Bennett, Ohio, Scioto County, Probate and Juvenile Division
Jennifer Petrella, Ohio, Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

Sarah L. Bridge, Oklahoma, district judge, 23rd Judicial District
Brett William Butner, Oklahoma, district judge, 22nd Judicial District

Nickolas A. Brajcich, Oregon, Columbia County Circuit Court
Christine K. Herbert, Oregon, Jackson County Circuit Court
Matthew A. Rowan, Oregon, Jackson Circuit Court

Kas R. DeCarvalho, Rhode Island District Court

Jerrod A. Anderson, South Carolina, Family Court Judge, 1st Judicial District
David J. Brousseau, South Carolina, Family Court Judge, 10th Judicial District
Blakely Copeland Cahoon, South Carolina, Family Court Judge, 9th Judicial District
David Pierce Caraker, Jr., South Carolina, Circuit Court Judge, 15th Judicial District
J. Derham Cole, Jr., South Carolina, Circuit Court Judge, 7th Judicial District
Martha M. Rivers Davisson, South Carolina, Circuit Court Judge, 2nd Judicial District
Pete G. Diamaduros, South Carolina, Family Court Judge, 7th Judicial District
Sammy Diamaduros, South Carolina, Family Court Judge, 16th Judicial District
S. Bryan Doby, South Carolina, Circuit Court Judge, 3rd Judicial District
Marvin Dukes, III, South Carolina, Circuit Court Judge, 14th Judicial District
Vernon F. Dunbar, South Carolina, Circuit Court Judge, 13th Judicial District
Milton G. Kimpson, South Carolina, Circuit Court Judge, At-Large
Gina J. McAlhany, South Carolina, Family Court Judge, 9th Judicial District
Charles J. McCutchen, South Carolina, Circuit Court Judge, At-Large
T. William “Billy” McGee, III, South Carolina, Circuit Court Judge, At-Large
William C. McMaster, III, South Carolina, Circuit Court Judge, At-Large
Jessica Ann Salvini, South Carolina, Circuit Court Judge, 13th Judicial District
Dale E. Van Slambrook, South Carolina, Circuit Court Judge, 9th Judicial District
R. Chadwick “Chad” Smith, South Carolina, Family Court Judge, 16th Judicial District
Matthew Price Turner, South Carolina, Court of Appeals

Jeff Clapper, South Dakota, Circuit Court Judge for the Second Judicial District
Eric Kelderman, South Dakota, Circuit Court Judge for the Seventh Judicial District
Mandi A. Mowery, South Dakota, Circuit Court Judge for the Second Judicial District
Scott Roetzel, South Dakota, Circuit Court Judge for the Seventh Judicial District

Kimberly Lund, Tennessee, Chancellor, 19th Judicial District
Jennifer Nichols, Tennessee, Circuit Court Judge, 18th Judicial District
Jessica Parrish, Tennessee, Circuit Court Judge, 22nd Judicial District
Adrienne Waters Ogle, Tennessee, Circuit Court Judge, 4th Judicial District
Joshua Turnbow, Tennessee, Circuit Court Judge, 23rd Judicial District
Stephanie J. Williams, Tennessee, Circuit Court Judge, 20th Judicial District

Sofia Adrogue, Texas Eleventh Business Court Division (Houston)
Melissa Andrews, Texas Third Business Court Division (Austin)
Marialyn Barnard, Texas Fourth Business Court Division (San Antonio)
Andrea Bouressa, Texas First Business Court Division (Dallas)
Scott Brister, Texas Fifteenth District Court of Appeals
Jerry Bullard, Texas Eighth Business Court Division (Fort Worth)
Terence Davis, Texas, 480th Judicial Court
Grant Dorfman, Texas Eleventh Business Court Division (Houston)
April Farris, Texas Fifteenth District Court of Appeals
Scott Field, Texas Fifteenth District Court of Appeals
Robert “Bryan” Gantt, Texas, 471st Judicial District Court
David Gunn, Texas, First Court of Appeals
Kathryn Lanigan Pruitt, Texas, 494th Judicial Court
Benjamin Robertson, Texas, 73rd Judicial District Court
Stacy Sharp, Texas Fourth Business Court Division (San Antonio)
Brian Stagner, Texas Eighth Business Court Division (Fort Worth)
Patrick K. Sweeten, Texas Third Business Court Division (Austin)
William “Bill” Whitehill, Texas First Business Court Division (Dallas)

Jared Anderson, Utah, Fourth District Court
Meb Anderson, Utah, Fifth District Court
Ryan Christiansen, Utah, Fifth District Court
Shawn Howell, Utah, Fourth District Court
Michael Mathie, Utah, Sixth District Court
John Nielsen, Utah, Third District Court
Kasey Wright, Utah, Fourth District Court

Patricia Gabel, Vermont, assistant judge in Lamoille County
Joseph McLean, Vermont, superior court judge, environmental division
Jessica Seman, Vermont, family division magistrate

Christine Hayes, Washington, Clark County Superior Court
Whitney M. Rivera, Washington, Snohomish County Superior Court

Sarah E. Dixon, West Virginia, Sixth Family Court Circuit
Ryan J. Flanigan, West Virginia, Ninth Judicial Circuit
Todd Kirby, West Virginia, Tenth Judicial Circuit
Adam B. Wolfe, West Virginia, Twelfth Family Court Circuit

Jane Bucher, Wisconsin, Green County Circuit Court
Peggy Miller, Wisconsin, Marinette County Circuit Court
Samantha Wagner, Wisconsin, Brown County Circuit Court

Robin S. Cooley, Wyoming, district court judge for the First Judicial District
Robert C. Jarosh, Wyoming, justice on the Wyoming Supreme Court
Michael J. McGrady, Wyoming, district court judge in the Sixth Judicial District
Erin Weisman, Wyoming, circuit court judge for the Ninth Judicial District

NJC News

Download a PDF of our 2024 & 2025 course lists

Download