Helen ZukinIncumbent

Candidate for Court of Appeal Justice, California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division 4, Seat 1

Helen Zukin is the Presiding Justice of the California Court of Appeal. She leads the Second Appellate District, Division Four. She earned her B.A. from UC Santa Cruz. She earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. She spent more than three decades in civil practice in Los Angeles. She was an associate at Greene, O'Reilly, Agnew & Broillet. That was from 1985 to 1990. She was a partner at Simke, Chodos, Silberfeld & Anteau, Inc. That was from 1990 to 1995. She was a solo practitioner next. That was at the Law Offices of Helen E. Zukin, from 1995 to 2006. She then joined Kiesel Law LLP. She was of counsel there from 2006 to 2010. She was a partner there from 2010 to 2018. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. appointed her to the Los Angeles County Superior Court. That was in 2018. There she presided over family law matters. She also handled general-jurisdiction civil trials and an unlimited independent-calendar civil court. Governor Gavin Newsom nominated her to the Court of Appeal. That was on May 19, 2023. She was confirmed and joined Division Four as an Associate Justice. That was on July 17, 2023. On May 7, 2025, Governor Newsom nominated her again. This time it was as Presiding Justice of Division Four. It filled the vacancy left by Presiding Justice Brian Currey's retirement. The Commission on Judicial Appointments confirmed her on June 24, 2025. She took the oath for that position that day. She was appointed since the last governor's election. So she appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot. It is a nonpartisan yes/no retention vote, with no opposing candidate. A majority 'yes' vote retains her as Presiding Justice. A majority 'no' vote would open the seat for a new appointment at the end of the current term.

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