United States District Court for the Northern District of California

United States District Court for the Northern District of California (N.D. Cal.)
Appeals to	Ninth Circuit
Established	August 5, 1886
Judges assigned	14
Chief judge	Phyllis Jean Hamilton
Official site

The United States District Court for the Northern District of California (in case citations, N.D. Cal.) is the federal United States district court whose jurisdiction comprises following counties of California: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma. The court hears cases in its courtrooms in Eureka, Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. It is headquartered in San Francisco.

Cases from the Northern District of California are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

History

California was admitted as a state on September 9, 1850, and was initially divided into two districts, the Northern and the Southern, by Act of Congress approved September 28, 1850, 9 Stat. 521.^[1] The boundary line was at the 37th parallel of North Latitude.^[2] The creating act provided that:

In addition to the ordinary jurisdiction and powers of a District Court of the United States, with which the Southern District Court of New York has been invested, the said Courts be and hereby are invested respectively within the limits of its district with the exercise of concurrent jurisdiction and power in all civil cases now exercised by the Circuit Courts of the United States; and that in all cases where said Courts shall exercise such jurisdiction, appeals may be taken from the judgments, orders or decrees of said Courts to the Supreme Court of the United States.

The Act of August 31, 1852 made the Judge of the Northern District be Judge of the Southern District as well until otherwise provided, by 10 Stat. 76, 84,^[1] effectively creating a single District in all but name until an Act of January 18, 1854 provided for the appointment of a Judge for the Southern District.^[2] The Southern District of California was abolished and the State made to constitute a single district – the United States District Court for the District of California – by Act of Congress approved July 27, 1866, 14 Stat. 300.^[1][2]

Twenty years later, on August 5, 1886, Congress re-created the Southern District of California by 24 Stat. 308.^[2] Erskine M. Ross was appointed Judge of the new district and served until his promotion to the Circuit Judgeship, when he was succeeded by Olin Wellborn.^[2] On March 18, 1966, the Eastern and Central Districts were created from portions of the Northern and Southern Districts by 80 Stat. 75.^[1]

Specialization

The court has become known as the presumptive destination for major cases (such as large class actions and multi-district litigation) involving defendants based in East Asia and the high tech sector. ^[3]

Current judges

#	Title	Judge	Duty station	Born	Term of service			Appointed by
					Active	Chief	Senior
57	Chief Judge	Phyllis Jean Hamilton	Oakland	1952	2000–present	2014–present	—	Clinton
56	District Judge	William Haskell Alsup	San Francisco	1945	1999–present	—	—	Clinton
58	District Judge	Jeffrey White	Oakland	1945	2002–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
59	District Judge	Richard G. Seeborg	San Francisco	1956	2010–present	—	—	Obama
60	District Judge	Lucy H. Koh	San Jose	1968	2010–present	—	—	Obama
61	District Judge	Edward J. Davila	San Jose	1952	2011–present	—	—	Obama
62	District Judge	Edward M. Chen	San Francisco	1953	2011–present	—	—	Obama
63	District Judge	Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers	Oakland	1965	2011–present	—	—	Obama
64	District Judge	Jon S. Tigar	San Francisco	1962	2013–present	—	—	Obama
65	District Judge	William H. Orrick, III	San Francisco	1953	2013–present	—	—	Obama
66	District Judge	James Donato	San Francisco	1960	2014–present	—	—	Obama
67	District Judge	Beth Labson Freeman	San Jose	1953	2014–present	—	—	Obama
68	District Judge	Vince Girdhari Chhabria	San Francisco	1969	2014–present	—	—	Obama
69	District Judge	Haywood Stirling Gilliam, Jr.	San Francisco	1969	2014–present	—	—	Obama
30	Senior Judge	Samuel Conti	San Francisco	1922	1970–1987	—	1987–present	Nixon
36	Senior Judge	William W. Schwarzer	inactive	1925	1976–1991	—	1991–present	Ford
38	Senior Judge	Thelton Henderson	San Francisco	1933	1980–1998	1990–1997	1998–present	Carter
47	Senior Judge	Saundra Brown Armstrong	Oakland	1947	1991–2012	—	2012–present	G.H.W. Bush
49	Senior Judge	Ronald M. Whyte	San Jose	1942	1992–2009	—	2009–present	G.H.W. Bush
50	Senior Judge	Claudia Ann Wilken	Oakland	1949	1993–2014	2012–2014	2014–present	Clinton
51	Senior Judge	Maxine M. Chesney	San Francisco	1942	1995–2009	—	2009–present	Clinton
52	Senior Judge	Susan Illston	San Francisco	1948	1995–2013	—	2013–present	Clinton
53	Senior Judge	Charles R. Breyer	San Francisco	1941	1997–2011	—	2011–present	Clinton
55	Senior Judge	Jeremy Fogel	San Francisco	1949	1998–2014	—	2014–present	Clinton

Former judges

#	Judge	State	Born/Died	Active service	Chief Judge	Senior status	Appointed by	Reason for termination
1	Hoffman, Jr., OgdenOgden Hoffman, Jr.	CA	1822–1891	1851–1866 1886–1891	—	—	Fillmore, Fillmore	reassignment death
2	Morrow, William W.William W. Morrow	CA	1843–1929	1891[4]–1897	—	—	Harrison, Harrison	reappointment
3	Haven, John J. DeJohn J. De Haven	CA	1849–1913	1897–1913	—	—	McKinley, McKinley	death
4	Van Fleet, William CaryWilliam Cary Van Fleet	CA	1852–1923	1907–1923	—	—	Roosevelt, T.T. Roosevelt	death
5	Dooling, Maurice TimothyMaurice Timothy Dooling	CA	1860–1924	1913–1924	—	—	Wilson, Wilson	death
6	Partridge, John SlaterJohn Slater Partridge	CA	1870–1926	1923–1926	—	—	Harding, Harding	death
7	Kerrigan, Frank HenryFrank Henry Kerrigan	CA	1868–1935	1924–1935	—	—	Coolidge, Coolidge	death
8	St. Sure, Adolphus FredericAdolphus Frederic St. Sure	CA	1869–1949	1925–1947	—	1947–1949	Coolidge, Coolidge	death
9	Louderback, HaroldHarold Louderback	CA	1881–1941	1928–1941	—	—	Coolidge, Coolidge	death
10	Roche, Michael JosephMichael Joseph Roche	CA	1878–1964	1935–1958	1948–1958	1958–1964	Roosevelt, F.F. Roosevelt	death
11	Welsh, Martin IgnatiusMartin Ignatius Welsh	CA	1882–1953	1939–1946	—	1946–1953	Roosevelt, F.F. Roosevelt	death
12	Goodman, Louis EarlLouis Earl Goodman	CA	1892–1961	1942–1961	1958–1961	—	Roosevelt, F.F. Roosevelt	death
13	Harris, George BernardGeorge Bernard Harris	CA	1901–1983	1946–1970	1961–1970	1970–1983	Truman, Truman	death
14	Lemmon, Dal MillingtonDal Millington Lemmon	CA	1887–1958	1947–1954	—	—	Truman, Truman	reappointment
15	Erskine, Herbert WilsonHerbert Wilson Erskine	CA	1888–1951	1949–1951	—	—	Truman, Truman	death
16	Carter, Oliver JesseOliver Jesse Carter	CA	1911–1976	1950–1976	1970–1976	1976	Truman, Truman	death
17	Murphy, Edward PrestonEdward Preston Murphy	CA	1904–1958	1950–1958	—	—	Truman, Truman	death
18	Friedman, Monroe MarkMonroe Mark Friedman	CA	1895–1978	1952–1953	—	—	Truman, Truman	not confirmed[5]
19	Hamlin, Jr., Oliver DevetaOliver Deveta Hamlin, Jr.	CA	1892–1973	1953–1958	—	—	Eisenhower, Eisenhower	reappointment
20	Halbert, SherrillSherrill Halbert	CA	1901–1991	1954–1966	—	—	Eisenhower, Eisenhower	reassignment
21	Wollenberg, Albert CharlesAlbert Charles Wollenberg	CA	1900–1981	1958–1975	—	1975–1981	Eisenhower, Eisenhower	death
22	Burke, Lloyd HudsonLloyd Hudson Burke	CA	1916–1988	1958–1979	—	1979–1988	Eisenhower, Eisenhower	death
23	Sweigert, William ThomasWilliam Thomas Sweigert	CA	1900–1983	1959–1973	—	1973–1983	Eisenhower, Eisenhower	death
24	MacBride, Thomas JamisonThomas Jamison MacBride	CA	1914–2000	1961–1966	—	—	Kennedy, Kennedy	reassignment
25	Zirpoli, AlfonsoAlfonso Zirpoli	CA	1905–1995	1961–1975	—	1975–1995	Kennedy, Kennedy	death
26	Weigel, Stanley AlexanderStanley Alexander Weigel	CA	1905–1999	1962–1982	—	1982–1997	Kennedy, Kennedy	retirement
27	Peckham, Robert FrancisRobert Francis Peckham	CA	1920–1993	1966–1988	1976–1988	1988–1993	Johnson, L.L. Johnson	death
28	Levin, Gerald SanfordGerald Sanford Levin	CA	1906–1971	1969–1971	—	—	Nixon, Nixon	death
29	Schnacke, Robert HowardRobert Howard Schnacke	CA	1913–1994	1970–1983	—	1983–1994	Nixon, Nixon	death
31	Williams, Spencer MortimerSpencer Mortimer Williams	CA	1922–2008	1971–1987	—	1987–2008	Nixon, Nixon	death
32	Renfrew, Charles ByronCharles Byron Renfrew	CA	1928–present	1971–1980	—	—	Nixon, Nixon	resignation
33	Orrick, Jr., William HorsleyWilliam Horsley Orrick, Jr.	CA	1915–2003	1974–1985	—	1985–2003	Nixon, Nixon	death
34	Ingram, William AustinWilliam Austin Ingram	CA	1924–2002	1976–1990	1988–1990	1990–2002	Ford, Ford	death
35	Poole, Cecil F.Cecil F. Poole	CA	1914–1997	1976–1980	—	—	Ford, Ford	reappointment
37	Aguilar, Robert PeterRobert Peter Aguilar	CA	1931–present	1980–1996	—	1996	Carter, Carter	retirement
39	Hall Patel, MarilynMarilyn Hall Patel	CA	1938–present	1980–2009	1997–2004	2009–2012	Carter	retirement
40	Lynch, Eugene F.Eugene F. Lynch	CA	1931–present	1982–1997	—	1997	Reagan, Reagan	retirement
41	Vukasin Jr., John P.John P. Vukasin Jr.	CA	1928–1993	1983–1993	—	—	Reagan, Reagan	death
42	Legge, Charles A.Charles A. Legge	CA	1930–present	1984–2001	—	—	Reagan, Reagan	retirement
43	Jensen, D. LowellD. Lowell Jensen	CA	1928–present	1986–1997	—	1997–2014	Reagan, Reagan	retirement
44	Smith, Fern M.Fern M. Smith	CA	1933–present	1988–2003	—	2003–2005	Reagan, Reagan	retirement
45	Walker, VaughnVaughn Walker	CA	1944–present	1989–2011	2004–2010	—	G.H.W. Bush	retirement
46	Ware, W. JamesW. James Ware	CA	1946–present	1990–2012	2011–2012	—	G.H.W. Bush	retirement
48	Caulfield, Barbara A.Barbara A. Caulfield	CA	1947–2010	1991–1994	—	—	Bush, G.H.W.G.H.W. Bush	resignation
54	Jenkins, MartinMartin Jenkins	CA	1954–present	1997–2008	—	—	Clinton, Clinton	resignation

Succession of seats

Seat 1 Seat established on September 28, 1850 by 9 Stat. 521 Hoffman, Jr. 1851–1866 Seat made concurrent with Southern District on August 31, 1852 by 10 Stat. 76, 84 Seat reassigned solely to Northern District on January 18, 1854 by 10 Stat. 265 Seat reassigned to District of California on July 27, 1866 by 14 Stat. 300 Seat reassigned to Northern District on August 5, 1886 by 24 Stat. 308 Hoffman, Jr. 1886–1891 Morrow 1891–1897 DeHaven 1897–1913 Dooling 1913–1924 St. Sure 1925–1947 Erskine 1949–1951 Friedman 1952–1953 Hamlin, Jr. 1953–1958 Burke 1958–1979 Seat abolished in 1979 (temporary judgeship expired)

Seat 2 Seat established on March 2, 1907 by 34 Stat. 1253 Van Fleet 1907–1923 Kerrigan 1924–1935 Roche 1935–1958 Wollenberg 1958–1975 Schwarzer 1976–1991 Caulfield 1991–1994 Illston 1995–2013 Chhabria 2014–present

Seat 3 Seat established on September 14, 1922 by 42 Stat. 837 (temporary) Partridge 1923–1926 Seat made permanent on March 3, 1927 by 44 Stat. 1372 Louderback 1928–1941 Goodman 1942–1961 Weigel 1962–1982 Vukasin, Jr. 1983–1993 Chesney 1995–2009 Seeborg 2010–present

Seat 4 Seat established on May 31, 1938 by 52 Stat. 584, 585 Welsh 1939–1947 Lemmon 1947–1954 Halbert 1954–1966 Seat reassigned to Eastern District on September 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75

Seat 5 Seat established on June 15, 1946 by 60 Stat. 260 Harris 1946–1970 Schnacke 1970–1983 Legge 1984–2001 White 2002–present

Seat 6 Seat established on August 3, 1949 by 63 Stat. 493 Carter 1950–1976 Poole 1976–1980 Henderson 1980–1998 Alsup 1999–present

Seat 7 Seat established on August 3, 1949 by 63 Stat. 493 Murphy 1950–1958 Sweigert 1959–1973 W.H. Orrick, Jr. 1974–1985 Jensen 1986–1997 Breyer 1997–2011 W.H. Orrick III 2013–present

Seat 8 Seat established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 MacBride 1961–1966 Seat reassigned to Eastern District on September 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75

Seat 9 Seat established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 Zirpoli 1961–1975 Ingram 1976–1990 Armstrong 1991–2012 Tigar 2013–present

Seat 10 Seat established on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75 Peckham 1966–1988 Ware 1990–2012 Donato 2014–present

Seat 11 Seat established on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75 Levin 1969–1971 Renfrew 1971–1980 Lynch 1982–1997 Jenkins 1997–2008 Chen 2011–present

Seat 12 Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294 Conti 1970–1987 Smith 1988–2003 Seat abolished on May 15, 2003 (temporary judgeship expired)

Seat 13 Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294 Williams 1971–1987 Walker 1989–2011 Rogers 2011–present

Seat 14 Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 Aguilar 1980–1996 Fogel 1998–2014 Seat abolished on December 31, 2014 (temporary judgeship expired)

Seat 15 Seat established in 1979 pursuant to 71 Stat. 586 (temporary) Seat became permanent upon the abolition of Seat 1 on March 15, 1988 Patel 1980–2009 Davila 2011–present

Seat 16 Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 Whyte 1992–2009 Koh 2010–present

Seat 17 Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 Wilken 1993–2014 Gilliam, Jr. 2014–present

Seat 18 Seat established on February 9, 2000 pursuant to 104 Stat. 5089 (temporary) Seat became permanent upon the abolition of Seat 12 on May 15, 2003 Hamilton 2000–present

Seat 19 Seat established on October 3, 2011 pursuant to 104 Stat. 5089 (temporary) Seat became permanent upon the abolition of Seat 14 on December 31, 2014 Freeman 2014–present

United States Attorney

The United States Attorney for the Northern District of California represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. Melinda Haag was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of California on March 25, 2010, confirmed by the Senate on August 5, and sworn in on August 13, 2010.

See also

• Courts of California
• List of United States federal courthouses in California

Notes

1. U.S. District Courts of California, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
2. Willoughby Rodman, History of the Bench and Bar of Southern California (1909), p. 46.
3. http://impaneled.com/2013/07/02/in-this-corner/
4. Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 10, 1891, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 11, 1892, and received commission on January 11, 1892.
5. Recess appointment; the United States Senate later rejected the appointment.

External links

• United States District Court for the Northern District of California Official Main, misconduct and ombudsperson websites
• United States Attorney for the Northern District of California Official Website
• Community History Exhibits at SanFrancisco Court facilities