Richard Seeborg
Richard Gus Seeborg[1] (born November 4, 1956) is the chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. He formerly served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the same district.
Richard Seeborg | |
---|---|
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California | |
Assumed office February 1, 2021 | |
Preceded by | Phyllis J. Hamilton |
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California | |
Assumed office January 4, 2010 | |
Appointed by | Barack Obama |
Preceded by | Maxine M. Chesney |
Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California | |
In office February 9, 2001 – January 4, 2010 | |
Succeeded by | Donna Ryu |
Personal details | |
Born | Richard Gus Seeborg November 4, 1956 Landstuhl, West Germany (now Germany) |
Education | Yale University (BA) Columbia University (JD) |
Early life and education
Born in Landstuhl, Germany, Seeborg earned a Bachelor of Arts in history summa cum laude from Yale University in May 1978 and then earned a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 1981.[2] From 1981 to 1982, Seeborg served as a law clerk to judge John H. Pratt of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.[2][3]
Career
In 1982, Seeborg joined the San Francisco law firm of Morrison & Foerster as an associate.[2] He became a partner with the firm in 1987.[2] In 1991, Seeborg left Morrison & Foerster to become an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of California in San Jose, California.[2] He served in that post until 1998, when he returned to Morrison & Foerster, working as a partner and focusing on a litigation practice in the fields of securities, intellectual property, and general commercial matters.[2][3]
Federal judicial service
On February 9, 2001, Seeborg became a United States Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.[2][3]
On August 7, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Seeborg to be a United States district judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.[4] On October 15, 2009, the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary voted to send Seeborg's nomination to the full Senate.[5] The Senate confirmed Seeborg by unanimous consent on December 24, 2009. He received his commission on January 4, 2010.[3] He became Chief Judge on February 1, 2021, after Phyllis J. Hamilton assumed senior status.[6]
Notable rulings
- On March 6, 2019, Seeborg ruled that U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross could not add a question about citizenship to the 2020 United States Census.[7][8]
- On April 8, 2019, Seeborg ruled that non-Mexican asylum seekers did not have to stay in Mexico while awaiting their court proceedings.[9]
Personal
Seeborg resides in San Francisco, California.[5]
References
- "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. September 23, 2009.
- "Hon. Richard G. Seeborg". www.legalspan.com.
- Richard Seeborg at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- President Obama Nominates Edward Milton Chen, Dolly Gee and Richard Seeborg to Serve on the District Court Bench Archived September 1, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, whitehouse.gov (August 7, 2009).
- Mintz, Howard (October 17, 2009). "Senate Judiciary Committee votes to confirm two Bay Area federal judge nominees". Contra Costa Times.
- "Chief District Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton Assumes Senior Status" (Press release). Retrieved February 1, 2021.
- Barbash, Fred (March 6, 2019). "Wilbur Ross broke law, violated Constitution in census decision, judge rules". Washington Post. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- Wallace, Gregory (March 6, 2019). "Second federal court strikes citizenship question from 2020 census". CNN. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- Hesson, Ted (April 8, 2019). "Judge halts Trump administration's 'remain in Mexico' policy". POLITICO. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
External links
- Richard Seeborg at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- Richard Seeborg at Ballotpedia