Padilla Applauds Confirmation of Judge Rita Lin to the Northern District
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to applaud the recent confirmation of Judge Rita Lin to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
“Whether by maintaining an extensive pro bono practice in the early years of her career, or by leaving behind the promise of a lucrative career in private practice to serve in the Northern District U.S. Attorney’s Office, Judge Lin has proven she has the heart and mind worthy of a federal district judge,” said Senator Padilla. “And as someone who has lived her entire life with a hearing disability, she also brings a unique perspective from a community not often represented in our nation’s federal judiciary. The state of California is now lucky to have a federal district court judge who not only has the judicial qualifications Judge Lin possesses, but also has the voice, the personal experience, and the passion for public service she brings to the table each and every day.”
Rita Lin most recently served as a judge on the Superior Court of San Francisco County, California. She was previously an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of California from 2014 to 2018. Before that, Judge Lin was a partner at Morrison and Foerster LLP, where she worked from 2004 to 2014. She served as a law clerk for Judge Sandra Lynch on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit from 2003 to 2004. Judge Lin received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2003 and B.A., magna cum laude, from Harvard College in 2000.
Senator Padilla is committed to rebuilding a federal judiciary that better reflects and understands the America it serves. Within weeks of being sworn into the Senate, Padilla established a Judicial Evaluation Commission that is approximately 70 percent attorneys of color and a majority women to evaluate candidates for federal judicial vacancies in California. Senator Padilla has worked closely with the Biden administration to recommend and support the nominations of highly-qualified, outstanding judges to the federal courts.
Video of Padilla’s remarks can be found here.
Padilla’s remarks, as delivered, are available below:
Madam President,
I also rise today just a week after the Senate confirmed Judge Rita Lin to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Today, I’d like to take a moment to celebrate her confirmation, and to share with the people of California a bit more about the outstanding public servant and jurist they’ve gained on the federal bench.
Judge Lin earned her undergraduate degree from Harvard College and her law degree from Harvard Law School. After clerking on the First Circuit Court of Appeals for Judge Sandra Lynch, she started out her legal career as an associate — and later became partner — at the firm Morrison & Foerster in San Francisco. But in 2014, she left private practice to pursue a career in public service, joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Four years later, Governor Brown appointed Judge Lin to the San Francisco County Superior Court, where she presided over both felony and misdemeanor trials.
And at every step, Judge Lin’s career has been guided by her dedication to public service. Whether by maintaining an extensive pro bono practice in the early years of her career, or by leaving behind the promise of a very lucrative career in private practice to serve in the Northern District U.S. Attorney’s Office, Judge Lin has proven she has the heart and mind worthy of a federal district judge.
And as someone who has lived her entire life with a hearing disability, she also brings a unique perspective from a community not often representative in our nation’s federal judiciary.
The state of California is now lucky to have a federal district court judge not only with the judicial qualifications of Judge Lin, but with the voice, the personal experience, and the passion for public service she brings each and every day. So I’m going to thank my colleagues for confirming her nomination, and I want to congratulate Judge Lin, once again, on her confirmation.
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