Michael W. Fitzgerald
| Michael W. Fitzgerald | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California | |
|
Assumed office March 15, 2012 | |
| Appointed by | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Howard Matz |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 11, 1959 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater |
Harvard University UC Berkeley School of Law |
Michael Walter Fitzgerald (born July 11, 1959) is a judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.[1]
Early life and education
Fitzgerald was born in Los Angeles, California, on July 11, 1959.[2] He earned an A.B. from Harvard College in 1981 and a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 1985.[3] After law school, Fitzgerald worked as a law clerk for Judge Irving Kaufman on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.[4]
Professional career
Fitzgerald worked at the Law Offices of Robert L. Corbin from 1995 to 1998 and at Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe from 1991 to 1995.[5] From 1988 until 1991, Fitzgerald worked as an assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California.[3] Since 1998, Fitzgerald has been part of a small Los Angeles law firm, Corbin, Fitgerald & Athey, which handles white collar criminal defense and business litigation.[4]
Federal judicial service
On July 20, 2011, President Obama nominated Fitzgerald to the judicial seat on the United States District Court for the Central District of California formerly held by Howard Matz.[4] Fitzgerald is the fourth openly gay candidate nominated by Obama to a federal judgeship, after Edward DuMont, J. Paul Oetken, and Alison J. Nathan.[1] He received a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on October 4, 2011, and the committee reported his nomination to the floor of the Senate on November 3, 2011, his nomination being placed on the Senate Executive Calendar that same day.[6]
On March 15, 2012, the Senate confirmed Fitzgerald in a 91–6 vote.[7] He received his commission the same day.[8]
Personal
Fitzgerald is openly gay and was the first openly LGBT person to be appointed to the federal bench in California.[9]
References
- 1 2 Phillip, Abby (July 20, 2011). "Obama to nominate fourth openly gay judicial candidate". Politico. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ↑ "Lawyer Profile: Michael W. Fitzgerald". Martindale. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- 1 2 Corbin, Fitzgerald & Athey LLP. "Attorneys: Michael W. Fitzgerald". corbfitzlaw.com. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- 1 2 3 The White House: Office of the Press Secretary (July 20, 2011). "President Obama Announces His Intent to Nominate Michael Walter Fitzgerald to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ↑ "Senate Confirms Michael W. Fitzgerald as District Judge for Central District of California" (PDF). Ninth Circuit. March 15, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee
- ↑ Senate Roll Call
- ↑ Biographical Directory of Federal Judges
- ↑ Bob Egelko (2012-03-16). "Michael Fitzgerald 1st openly gay U.S. judge in CA". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
External links
- Michael W. Fitzgerald at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Howard Matz |
Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California 2012–present |
Incumbent |