Kenly Kiya Kato | |
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| Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Central District of California | |
| Assumed office November 17, 2023 | |
| Appointed by | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Beverly Reid O'Connell |
| Magistrate Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Central District of California | |
| In office July 1, 2014 – November 17, 2023 | |
| Succeeded by | David T. Bristow |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1972 (age 52–53) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
Kenly Kiya Kato (born 1972)[1] is an American judge who has served as aUnited States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the Central District of California since 2023. She previously served as aUnited States magistrate judge of the same court from 2014 to 2023.
Kato isJapanese American; her parents, as children, were among those subjected tointernment during World War II.[2] She earned herBachelor of Arts,summa cum laude, from theUniversity of California, Los Angeles in 1993.[3] She graduatedPhi Beta Kappa, with a major inpolitical science.[4] She received aJuris Doctor,cum laude, in 1996 fromHarvard Law School, where she was an editor of theHarvard Civil Rights–Civil Liberties Law Review.[3]
Kato served as alaw clerk for JudgeRobert Mitsuhiro Takasugi of theUnited States District Court for the Central District of California from 1996 to 1997. From 1997 to 2003, she was adeputy federal public defender in the federal public defender's office inLos Angeles. From 2003 to 2004, Kato was an associate at Liner LLP in Los Angeles.[3]
From 2004 to 2014, she was asole practitioner.[3] She primarily represented federalcriminaldefendants, and also represented clients incivil rights andlabor disputes.[4] Prior to her appointment as a U.S. magistrate judge, she served on the federal district court's Merit Selection Panel and Standing Committee on Attorney Discipline.[4]
On July 1, 2014, Kato was sworn in as aUnited States magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.[4]
On December 15, 2021, PresidentJoe Biden nominated Kato to serve as aUnited States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.[3] President Biden nominated Kato to the seat vacated by JudgeBeverly Reid O'Connell, who died on October 8, 2017.[5]
On February 1, 2022, a hearing was held before theSenate Judiciary Committee.[6] During her confirmation hearing, SenatorsChuck Grassley andTed Cruz questioned her about a 1995book review, published inHarvard Civil Rights–Civil Liberties Law Review, that Kato had co-written in law school; in a heated dialogue, the two Republicans questioned Kato about a footnote in the book review that said that Asian-Americanneoconservatives "internalize the dialogue of oppressors, believing in the values of the status quo and condemning the activism of their group."[2][7][8] Cruz also questioned her about her views onaffirmative action.[2][7] Some Republicans also objected to Kato's past experience as a public defender.[9] Her nomination is supported by theNational Asian Pacific American Bar Association.[7] On March 10, 2022, the committee failed to report her nomination by an 11–11 vote.[10]
On January 3, 2023, her nomination was returned to the president underRule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate; she was renominated the same day.[11] On February 9, 2023, her nomination was reported out of committee by a party-line 11–10 vote.[12] On November 7, 2023, the Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 50–47 vote.[13] Later that day, her nomination was confirmed by a 51–46 vote.[14] She received her judicial commission on November 17, 2023.[15]
| Legal offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Central District of California 2023–present | Incumbent |