Irma Elsa Gonzalez
Encyclopedia
Judge Irma Elsa Gonzalez (born 1948 in Palo Alto, California
) is a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. She was the first Mexican-American female federal judge. She was nominated by George H.W. Bush on April 9, 1992, to a seat vacated by J. Lawrence Irving
. The U.S. Senate confirmed her nomination on August 11, 1992. She has served as the chief judge of the Southern District of California
from 2005 until the present. Prior to her service as a District Court Judge, Chief Judge Gonzalez served as a United States Magistrate Judge from 1984 until 1991.
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
) is a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. She was the first Mexican-American female federal judge. She was nominated by George H.W. Bush on April 9, 1992, to a seat vacated by J. Lawrence Irving
J. Lawrence Irving
J. Lawrence Irving is a former United States federal judge.Born in San Diego, California, Irving was in the United States Army from 1954 to 1956. He received a B.S. from the University of Southern California in 1959 and an LL.B. from the University of Southern California Law School in 1963...
. The U.S. Senate confirmed her nomination on August 11, 1992. She has served as the chief judge of the Southern District of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
from 2005 until the present. Prior to her service as a District Court Judge, Chief Judge Gonzalez served as a United States Magistrate Judge from 1984 until 1991.
Education
- Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, B.A., 1970 - University of Arizona College of Law, J.D., 1973
Professional career
- Law clerk, Hon. William C. Frey, U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, 1973-1975
- Assistant U.S. attorney, Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney's Office, Arizona, 1975-1979
- Trial attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California, 1979 - Assistant U.S. attorney, Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California, 1979–1981
- Private practice, San Diego, California, 1981-1984
- Judge, California Superior Court, San Diego County, 1991-1992