Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday again reached into the ranks of his own staff and big law alumni to fill some of the last remaining judicial vacancies in California trial courts.

Brown named his deputy legal affairs secretary, Daniel Calabretta, to the Sacramento County Superior Court. Prior to joining the governor's office in 2013, Calabretta was a deputy attorney general for five years and an associate at Munger, Tolles & Olson between 2005 and 2008. He was also a law clerk for former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.

Brown's legal affairs secretary, Peter Krause, and deputy legal affairs secretary Gabriel Sanchez were both recently confirmed to posts on two state appellate courts. Brown advisor Joshua Groban will join the California Supreme Court if confirmed in a hearing before the Commission on Judicial Appointments next month.

Calabretta's appointment was among 12 Brown made Thursday, filling about a third of the state's remaining 37 trial court positions that the Judicial Council reported empty as of Oct. 31.

In addition to Calabretta, Brown named seven judges to the Los Angeles bench and one each to courts in Kern, Orange, Napa and Sutter counties.

Here is the full list of Thursday's appointments.

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