Los Angeles, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the appointment of Luis A. Lavin as associate justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Three.

Lavin, 56, of Los Angeles, has served as a judge at the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2001. Lavin served as general counsel at the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission from 1999 to 2001 and as a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice from 1995 to 1999. He was associate general counsel at the Directors Guild of America from 1992 to 1995 and served as an assistant attorney general at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office from 1990 to 1992. Lavin was an associate at Widett, Slater and Goldman from 1988 to 1990, at Testa, Hurwitz and Thibeault from 1987 to 1988 and at McCutchen, Doyle, Brown and Enersen from 1985 to 1987. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University.

Lavin fills the vacancy created by the death of  Justice H. Walter Croskey. This position requires confirmation by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. The commission consists of Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Attorney General Kamala D. Harris and Senior Presiding Justice Paul Turner. He will be the first openly gay justice to serve on the Second District Court of Appeal, if confirmed. Lavin is a Democrat.

The compensation for this position is $211,260.