Padilla, Feinstein Applaud Three Nominations for California-Based Federal Judgeships
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein (both D-Calif.), members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after the White House announced that President Biden nominated Judge Jacqueline Corley and Judge Trina Thompson to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
“Over the past ten months, President Biden and the Senate Judiciary Committee have made significant progress in placing highly qualified judges on the federal bench and making the federal judiciary better reflect the nation it serves. Today, we applaud President Biden’s nominations of three more outstanding candidates to serve as judges on California’s district courts.
“Judges Corley, Montenegro, and Thompson are each highly qualified nominees and dedicated public servants, committed to guaranteeing equal justice for all. We urge the Senate to swiftly confirm them.”
This slate includes:
- President Biden’s second Latina nominee to the Southern District of California—California currently has only one active Latina federal district court judge out of sixty-one federal district court seats.
- A nominee who would be the only Black woman serving as an active federal district court judge in the Northern District of California.
Judge Jacqueline Corley: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
Judge Jacqueline Corley has served as a Magistrate Judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California since 2011. From 2009 to 2011, Judge Corley was a partner at Kerr & Wagstaffe LLP, a San Francisco law firm that specializes in civil litigation. From 1998 to 2009, she served as a career law clerk for Judge Charles Breyer on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. From 1994 to 1997, Judge Corley was a litigation associate at Coblentz, Patch, Duffy and Bass in San Francisco, where she practiced civil and criminal litigation. From 1992 to 1994, Judge Corley was a litigation associate at Goodwin Procter LLP in Boston. She served as a law clerk for Judge Robert Keeton on the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1992.
Judge Corley received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1991 and her B.A., with high distinction, from the University of California at Berkeley in 1988.
Judge Trina Thompson: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
Judge Trina Thompson has served as a judge on the Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland, California since 2002. From 2000 to 2002, Judge Thompson was a Juvenile Court Commissioner in Alameda County Superior Court. From 1991 to 2000, Judge Thompson served as a criminal defense attorney at her own law firm, The Law Offices of Trina Thompson-Stanley. She served as a law clerk and later as an Assistant Public Defender in the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office from 1986 to 1991.
Judge Thompson received her a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 1986, and a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1983.
Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of California
Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro has served as a Magistrate Judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of California since August 2018. From 2012 to 2013 and again from 2015 to 2018, she served as a judge on the Imperial County Superior Court in California. Judge Montenegro served as the Imperial County Superior Court’s Family Support Commissioner from 2013 to 2015. She was Assistant County Counsel for Imperial County from 2011 to 2012 and also served as a Deputy County Counsel IV in 2000. Judge Montenegro served as Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Administrative Services for the El Centro Elementary School District in Imperial County from 2002 to 2011 and served as Director of Human Resources for the Imperial Community College District from 2000 to 2002. She was previously an attorney at Horton, Knox, Carter & Foote, LLP from 1993 to 2000.
Judge Montenegro received her J.D. from the UCLA School of Law in 1992, her B.A.,summa cum laude, from Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 1989, and her A.A., with honors, from Imperial Valley College in 1987.
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