Judicial Information

The current Presiding Judge is the Honorable Beth McGowen. Read the Welcome from the Presiding Judge.

There are 77 judgeships and 5 commissioner positions at the Superior Court in Santa Clara County. (A commissioner is a subordinate judicial officer appointed by the judges of the Court, and given the power to hear and make decisions in certain kinds of legal matters.)

For information on the election of Superior Court judicial officers, see the Judicial Election Fact Sheet.

Temporary ("pro tem") Judges also serve in a judicial capacity at the Superior Court. A Temporary Judge is a lawyer who has volunteered to hear and decide cases. For more information, please see our Temporary Judge Program.

Judicial Officers by Department/Courthouse

Click on the links below to see a list of judicial officers and department phone numbers at each courthouse.

Judicial Internships

For information about applying to be a judicial intern at our court, see Interns and Volunteers. Note: to qualify, candidates must be enrolled in a college degree program that is related to the internship.

Judicial Officers Speakers Bureau

This program is designed to promote interaction between judicial officers and the public. The Speakers Bureau can provide judges and court commissioners to speak at community events, meetings, and school functions, and these presentations can be tailored to fit each organization’s needs and interests.

For additional information, see the second page of the Court & Community brochure. To request a speaker, email the Court at visit@scscourt.org or call 408-882-2840 .