San Mateo County (Redwood City)
Career Highlights: Hon. Jonathan E. Karesh (Ret.) brings 40 years of judicial and legal experience to his mediator role. During his 24-year tenure on the San Mateo County Superior Court, he handled a broad range of civil cases, including personal injury matters, construction defect cases and high-stakes conservatorships. After being elected Presiding Judge of the court in late 2018, he helped lead a bench of 28 judges and 300 court staff through COVID, navigating the shutdown and reimagining court operations. He oversaw the safe resumption of jury trials by building out temporary courtrooms at the San Mateo County Fairgrounds and was widely recognized in California for his steady leadership and practical problem-solving during this period of uncertainty. From 2019 to 2023, Judge Karesh served on the Governor of California's Judicial Selection Advisory Committee.
Law School: UC Berkeley School of Law
Signature Resolution
Career Highlights: Hon. Jonathan E. Karesh (Ret.) brings 40 years of judicial and legal experience to his mediator role. During his 24-year tenure on the San Mateo County Superior Court, he handled a broad range of civil cases, including personal injury matters, construction defect cases and high-stakes conservatorships. After being elected Presiding Judge of the court in late 2018, he helped lead a bench of 28 judges and 300 court staff through COVID, navigating the shutdown and reimagining court operations. He oversaw the safe resumption of jury trials by building out temporary courtrooms at the San Mateo County Fairgrounds and was widely recognized in California for his steady leadership and practical problem-solving during this period of uncertainty. From 2019 to 2023, Judge Karesh served on the Governor of California's Judicial Selection Advisory Committee.
Law School: UC Berkeley School of Law
Signature Resolution
REDWOOD CITY — Judge Jonathan E. Karesh was presiding judge of San Mateo County Superior Court when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, and is glad to be back trying cases.
“I try to run a user-friendly courtroom,” Karesh said in an interview in his chambers. “I want to make it a courtroom where everybody wants to be.”
Attorneys who have gotten to know him for years praise Karesh as a compassionate an... (continued)
