3 December 2012California Governor Jerry Brown on Thursday named four new Superior Court judges for the Central Valley. Among the judicial appointments announced was the appointment of 48-year-old Nigerian woman, Bunmi O. Awoniyi in Elk Grove, California. 
According to Centralvalleybusinesstimes, of the four, three replace judges who have retired and the fourth fills a long-standing vacancy.
Ms. Awoniyi has served as a principal attorney with a family law practice since 1994. She was an adjunct professor at the University of Northern California, Lorenzo Patiño School of Law from 1997 to 1998, an associate attorney at the Law Office of Steven L. Wessels from 1993 to 1994 and an associate attorney at the Law Office of Brady and Kent from 1992 to 1993.
Ms. Awoniyi was a law clerk at the Law Office of D. Kapp Nees in 1991 and a crown prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service in London from 1989 to 1990.
Awoniyi earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the Inns of Court School of Law, a Masters of Law degree from the University of Leicester School of Law and a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Essex.
She is a certified family law specialist. She fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position on December 3, 2011. Awoniyi is a Democrat.
Each of the new judges will be paid $176,789 (over N28 million) per year.
Michael Jurkovich was named to a judgeship in the Madera County Superior Court.
Brian McNamara was appointed to a judgeship in the Kern County Superior Court.
And Bunmi Awoniyi and Steven Gevercer were named to judgeships in the Sacramento County Superior Court.
