Alex Padilla U.S. Senator for California

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor in support of the confirmation of E. Martin Estrada to serve as U.S. Attorney for California’s Central District. During his remarks, Padilla expressed his strong support for the confirmation of Estrada to the position. Estrada was confirmed unanimously by the Senate this week.

“To effectively serve as the chief federal law enforcement officer for such a large and diverse district, you need someone with a proven track record of experience, a credibility with community leaders, and the character to fight for truth and fairness in our justice system. Martin Estrada is the right person for the job,” said Senator Padilla. “Martin has excelled at every stage of his career, and he is more than qualified to serve as U.S. Attorney for California’s Central District. He will bring a temperament, intelligence, and work ethic worthy of the community he will once again serve, and I thank my colleagues for supporting his confirmation.”

Senator Padilla is committed to rebuilding a federal judiciary that better reflects and understands the America it serves. Within weeks of being sworn in to 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. Over the last year, Senator Padilla has worked closely with the Biden administration to recommend and support the nominations of highly-qualified, outstanding federal judges and U.S. Attorneys. to the federal courts.

Padilla’s full remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below:

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the confirmation of Martin Estrada to be United States Attorney for the Central District of California.

The Central District is the largest federal judicial district in the country.

It serves over 19 million Californians—almost twice as many people as the next largest district, and about half the population of California.

It spans from San Luis Obispo County—home of Los Padres National Forest—to Riverside County and the Mojave Desert;

From the Pacific Ocean to our eastern border with Arizona and Nevada.

And it’s home to some of the most culturally and racially diverse communities in the country.

To effectively serve as the chief federal law enforcement officer for such a large and diverse district, you need someone with a proven track record of experience; a credibility with community leaders; and the character to fight for truth and fairness in our justice system.

Martin Estrada is the right person for the job.

The proud son of immigrants from Guatemala, Martin has spent most of his life in and around the Central District communities he will now serve as U.S. Attorney.

He was raised near Costa Mesa, and earned his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Irvine.

After earning his law degree at Stanford Law School, Martin returned home to the Central District, where he clerked for federal district judge Robert Timlin, and then later for Judge Arthur Alarcón on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

After spending time as an associate at the highly-regarded Los Angeles firm Munger, Tolles & Olson, Martin served for seven years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central District, working to protect communities from major crimes.

Since 2014, as Partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson, he’s represented clients before both federal and state courts in a diverse array of legal practice areas.

He’s also maintained a significant pro bono practice, fighting for equal justice and equal access for Dreamers, Latino and Native American students, and students with disabilities.

Martin has excelled at every stage of his career, and he is more than qualified to serve as U.S. Attorney for California’s Central District.

He will bring a temperament, intelligence, and work ethic worthy of the community he will now once again serve, and I thank my colleagues for supporting his confirmation.

Thank you.

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