Alex Padilla U.S. Senator for California

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) introduced Judge Ana de Alba at her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing. During his remarks, Padilla highlighted her qualifications and her background—which is emblematic of the American Dream.

“Judge de Alba has more than proven herself to be a qualified jurist, continuing to demonstrate an expansive breadth of legal knowledge and an unwavering commitment to public service,” said Senator Padilla. “She is dedicated, fair, and universally respected by her colleagues, and I can think of few candidates as qualified and as prepared for this role as Judge Ana de Alba. We know it matters to have someone from a family of farmworkers—who watched her mother and grandmother struggle with unfair treatment—protecting a country of working families. And we know it matters to have the perspective of the first Latina to sit on the Eastern District Court now serve the largest of all 13 federal appellate courts, representing a diverse range of communities. I urge my colleagues to advance her nomination.”

Judge Ana de Alba: Candidate for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Judge Ana de Alba has served as a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of California since 2022. Previously, she served as a judge on the Superior Court of California in Fresno County from 2018 to 2022. Judge de Alba became a partner at her firm, Lang Richert & Patch after just five years, holding that position from 2013 to 2018. She was an associate at the firm from 2007 to 2013.

Judge de Alba received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2007 and her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley in 2002. Padilla previously supported the confirmation of Judge Ana de Alba as a judge for the Eastern District of California.

More information on the hearing is available here.

Padilla’s remarks, as delivered, are available below:

It is an honor to introduce Judge Ana de Alba, President Biden’s nominee to serve on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Judge de Alba is joined today, once again, by her family. I want to welcome them to Washington, to the Capitol, and to this committee.

Judge de Alba is a proud daughter of immigrants from Mexico, Judge de Alba was born in Merced, California, and grew up in a family of farm workers.

A first-generation high school graduate, she went on to earn both her bachelor’s degree and her JD from UC Berkeley.

After graduating, she built a successful career in private practice in the Central Valley of California, where she focused on complex commercial litigation while maintaining a robust pro bono practice.

She also went on to establish a Worker’s Rights Clinic for low wage workers to learn their rights and seek legal advice.

In 2018, Judge de Alba was appointed as a Superior Court Judge for Fresno County, where she served until 2022. I was proud to introduce her before this very committee at the time when President Biden nominated her to serve as U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of California, to which she was confirmed.

In the time since then, she has proven to be more than just a qualified jurist, she’s continued to demonstrate an expansive breadth of legal knowledge and an unwavering commitment to public service.

Now in this committee, we ask ourselves this question: who do we want to preside over our nation’s laws?

Who do we want deciding some of the most difficult and vexing legal questions for our communities?

When President Biden entered office, he made clear that of course, he’d be selecting judges from some of the most brilliant legal minds this country had to offer.

But he also called on us to build a federal judiciary that reflected the diversity of the country that it serves.

We were striving for a court system that looks like America and we appreciate full well, why.

Because it brings different perspectives to the table, it enriches deliberations, and it builds trust in the judicial system — especially among underrepresented communities.

That’s especially important now, at a time when public faith in the judiciary continues to be challenged.

But it’s also particularly important for communities who don’t often see themselves represented in positions of power — to know that there’s a legal backstop they can trust to protect their rights in a court of appeals.

So, not only do we know that someone as knowledgeable, as passionate, and as intelligent as Judge de Alba would be the ideal candidate for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals;

We also know that it absolutely matters to have a daughter of immigrants, with the life experience that she brings, to serve in this capacity.

And we know that it matters to have the perspective of the first Latina to sit on the Eastern District Court to now serve the largest of all 13 federal appellate courts.

She is dedicated, she is fair, and universally respected by her colleagues, and I can think of few candidates as qualified and as prepared for this role as Judge de Alba.

I urge my colleagues to advance her nomination. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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