2 Former Bar Presidents Named to Superior Court

Gov. Gray Davis named two former Los Angeles County Bar Assn. presidents to the Superior Court bench Tuesday. Davis appointed Lee Smalley Edmon, 44, of Pasadena, and Patricia M. Schnegg, 47, of Marina del Rey. Both are prominent civil litigators and bar leaders in Los Angeles.

Edmon, who replaces retired Judge George William Dunn, was the bar president from 1998 to 1999 and is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Dewey Ballantine LLP, where her practice focuses on complex commercial and employment litigation.

Schnegg just completed her one-year term as bar association president and was the first woman in Knapp, Marsh, Jones & Doran, where she served as managing partner from 1989 to 1991.

Schnegg replaces Judge Gary Feess, who was appointed to the federal bench. She currently handles complex civil litigation for transportation companies, manufacturers, restaurant chains, sporting goods stores, nonprofit organizations and public agencies.

She also is vice president of the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners, and previously was president of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles and on the board of Public Counsel.

Edmon and Schnegg, both Democrats, will receive annual salaries of $117,912.