Phyllis Jean Hamilton

Phyllis Hamilton
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
Incumbent
Assumed office December 16, 2014
Preceded by	Claudia Ann Wilken
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
Incumbent
Assumed office May 25, 2000
Appointed by	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	a new seat authorized by 104 Stat. 5089
Personal details
Born	1952 (age 63–64) Jacksonville, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater	Stanford University Santa Clara University School of Law

Phyllis Jean Hamilton (born 1952) is the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Born in Jacksonville, Illinois, Hamilton received a B.A. from Stanford University in 1974 and a J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law in 1976. She was a deputy public defender in the California Office of the Public Defender from 1976 to 1980, and briefly served as a manager of EEO Programs for Farinon Electric Corporation in 1980. She became an administrative judge for the San Francisco Regional Office of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board from 1980 to 1985, and was a court commissioner for the Municipal Court, Oakland-Piedmont-Emeryville Judicial District from 1985 to 1991. From 1991 to 2000, Hamilton was a United States Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

On February 9, 2000, Hamilton was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a new seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California created by 104 Stat. 5089, 5105. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 24, 2000, and received her commission on May 25, 2000. She has served as Chief Judge since December 16, 2014.

Sources

• Phyllis Jean Hamilton at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.