Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed two new judges to the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara. The appointments, announced on February 26, 2026, include Hon. Karen Schulz and Carl Chamberlin.
Karen Schulz is from San Mateo County and has been serving as an Immigration Judge at the U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review since 2021. Before that role, she was Executive Director and Managing Attorney at Step Forward Foundation from 2015 to 2021. She also owned the Law Office of Karen Schulz between 2010 and 2018. Schulz earned her Juris Doctor degree from Santa Clara University School of Law. She will fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Judge Julianne Sylva.
Carl Chamberlin, who resides in San Francisco County, has worked as Lead Appellate Court Attorney at the First District Court of Appeal, First Appellate District since 1999. Earlier in his career, he served as Acting Assistant District Attorney at the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office in 1992 and was an Associate and Of Counsel at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe from 1985 to 1999. Chamberlin received his Juris Doctor degree from University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. He fills the vacancy created by Judge Drew Takaichi’s retirement.
The court stated: “The Court welcomes Hon. Karen Schulz and Carl Chamberlin to the bench and looks forward to their service to the residents of Santa Clara County. Their diverse legal experience and longstanding commitment to public service will strengthen the Court’s mission to provide equal access to justice and fair resolution of disputes for all members of our community.”
