Four Corners: 2024 Annual Family Law Case Update

Geanene M. Yriarte serves as a judge on the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California. She was appointed to the bench by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2009 and has since been re-elected. Her current term extends until January 8, 2029.

In the June 7, 2022, primary election, Yriarte secured re-election unopposed, leading to the cancellation of both the primary and general elections.

Yriarte earned her bachelor’s degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School. Before her judicial appointment, she worked as a deputy district attorney for Los Angeles County.

Judge Puente-Porras was appointed on June 27, 2018.  She served as Commissioner for the Los Angeles Superior Court since April 2015.  She is assigned to Dept. N in Compton in a general family law assignment.  She has been assigned to family since April 2015.

Prior to her election as a Commissioner, she practiced Family Law, representing all parties and served as appointed minor’s counsel.  In the contested adoption forum at Edelman Children’s Court, she was appointed on behalf of parties or to serve as minor’s counsel.  Her practice also included Criminal Defense and Civil litigation.  For 10 years she served on the Board of Trustees for the Southeast District Bar Association and was President in 2010.  Her pro bono work included serving as a Daily Settlement Officer for the Los Angeles Superior Court [Family Law], the Alliance for Children’s Rights, Los Angeles and the Public Law Center in Santa Ana.  Judge Puente-Porras was in private practice for 17 years until being elected to the Bench as a Commissioner.  She is a graduate of Western State University College of Law, Fullerton.

Judge Puente-Porras is Co-chair of the Outreach Committee of Los Angeles Superior Court Judicial Mentor Program.  She is also a lecturer at University of West Los Angeles School of Law and Cerritos College.

Judge Amir Aharonov was appointed to serve on the Los Angeles County Superior Court after previously serving as a Commissioner of the Los Angeles County Superior Court,where he presided over Department F-50 in Chatsworth. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Aharonov practiced family law exclusively as a Certified Family Law Specialist and Senior Partner at Aharonov & Revy Family Law, and later served as Of Counsel at Webster Kaplan Sprunger.

Hon. Harvey A. Silberman (Ret.) is a Mediator, Arbitrator, Judge Pro Tem, Discovery Referee, and Parent Plan Coordinator at Signature Resolution. Hon. Harvey A. Silberman (Ret.) brings a distinguished career in family law and a deep commitment to thoughtful dispute resolution to his role as a mediator at Signature Resolution. Appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court in 2004, Judge Silberman devoted his entire eighteen-year judicial tenure exclusively to the family law division, serving eight years at Stanley Mosk Courthouse followed by more than a decade in Department L in Pasadena. He is widely recognized for his ability to navigate complex family dynamics with compassion, clarity, and respect for the emotional and financial realities facing all parties, particularly when children are involved.

Before taking the bench, Judge Silberman built a career rooted in both public interest and private practice. He was the first staff attorney hired by AIDS Project Los Angeles during the height of the AIDS epidemic, later practicing at a large San Gabriel Valley family law firm before returning to public service as supervising attorney of the family law and domestic violence unit at Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles. A dedicated educator, Judge Silberman taught family law at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law and continues to support legal education through student extern programs. He earned his undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University and his JD/MA from USC, where he received the Shattuck Award for outstanding potential in the legal field. His excellence on the bench has been recognized with multiple Judge of the Year honors from bar associations, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and the Inn of Court, reflecting his lasting impact on the family law community.