Newsom appoints San Francisco attorney Matthew Kahn to Superior Court

Governor Gavin Newsom named San Francisco attorney Matthew Kahn to serve on the San Francisco County Superior Court, an appointment announced as part of a package of judicial selections released Feb. 22, 2026. The announcement placed Kahn among several appointees affecting multiple Bay Area counties, signaling a regional reshuffle of trial-court benches.

The appointment on Feb. 22 was included in a broader slate that Newsom described as covering Bay Area jurisdictions; regional reporting subsequently identified Matthew Kahn of San Francisco County as the appointee designated for the San Francisco Superior Court seat. Kahn’s selection was explicit in notices circulating after the governor’s announcement, which tied his name to the county where he has practiced.

Newsom’s package did not single out only San Francisco. The Feb. 22 release grouped Kahn with other nominees for county-level judgeships across the Bay Area, reflecting the governor’s continued authority to fill trial-court vacancies at the county level. For San Francisco County, Kahn’s appointment will add to the roster of judges serving the Superior Court that handles the county’s trial matters.

Regional outlets flagged Kahn’s selection in the days after the governor’s announcement, noting his identification as a San Francisco County attorney named to the Superior Court. The reporting emphasized the local connection between appointee and court, citing Kahn’s county affiliation in coverage following Newsom’s Feb. 22 package.

As of Feb. 27, 2026 the appointment remains part of the governor’s recent judicial actions affecting the Bay Area. Matthew Kahn’s naming to the San Francisco County Superior Court is now part of the official record from Newsom’s Feb. 22 package, and it represents the administration’s latest contribution to the composition of county trial courts in the region.