 | Thisbiography of a living personneeds additionalcitations forverification. Please help by addingreliable sources.Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced orpoorly sourcedmust be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentiallylibelous. Find sources: "Irma Elsa Gonzalez" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(October 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Irma Elsa Gonzalez | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Gonzalez in 2014 | |
| Senior Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of California | |
| In office March 29, 2013 – October 25, 2013 | |
| Chief Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of California | |
| In office 2005–2012 | |
| Preceded by | Marilyn L. Huff |
| Succeeded by | Barry Ted Moskowitz |
| Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of California | |
| In office August 12, 1992 – March 29, 2013 | |
| Appointed by | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | J. Lawrence Irving |
| Succeeded by | Cynthia Bashant |
| Magistrate Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of California | |
| In office 1984–1991 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1948-03-29)March 29, 1948 (age 77) |
| Education | Stanford University (BA) James E. Rogers College of Law (JD) |
Irma Elsa Gonzalez (born March 29, 1948) is a retiredUnited States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of California, who was the firstMexican-American female federal judge.[1] She is married to former federal prosecutor and trial attorneyRobert S. Brewer Jr. who served as the U.S. attorney for Southern California from 2019 to 2021.
She was anassistant United States attorney of the Criminal Division for the U.S. Attorney's Office of the District of Arizona from 1975 to 1979. She was a trial attorney of the Antitrust Division of U.S. Department of Justice in Los Angeles in 1979. She was an assistant United States attorney of the Criminal Division for the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Central District of California from 1979 to 1981. She was in private practice of law inSan Diego, California from 1981 to 1984. She was a judge on theSan Diego County Superior Court from 1991 to 1992.
Gonzalez was a United States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of California. Gonzalez was nominated by PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush on April 9, 1992, to a seat vacated by JudgeJ. Lawrence Irving. She was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on August 11, 1992, and received commission on August 12, 1992. Served as chief judge from 2005–2012.
Born inPalo Alto, California, Gonzalez completed aBachelor of Arts degree atStanford University in 1970, and aJuris Doctor at theUniversity of Arizona College of Law (now known as the James E. Rogers College of Law) in 1973. She clerked for JudgeWilliam C. Frey of theUnited States District Court for the District of Arizona from 1973 to 1975. Gonzalez worked as anAssistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney for Arizona from 1975 to 1979, and then for theCentral District of California from 1979 to 1981. She was in private practice inSan Diego from 1981 to 1984.[2]
Gonzalez served as aUnited States magistrate judge for theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of California in 1984.California GovernorPete Wilson appointed Gonzalez as a state judge on theSan DiegoSuperior Court in 1991.[2]
On April 9, 1992,PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush nominated Gonzales to be aUnited States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of California, to fill the seat vacated by JudgeJ. Lawrence Irving. TheSenate confirmed her nomination on August 11, 1992 and she received her commission on August 12, 1992. She served as theChief Judge of the Southern District from 2005 to 2012. Gonzalez assumedsenior status on March 29, 2013, and retired on October 25, 2013.[2]
On August 23, 2010 Gonzalez sided withTrump University in Makaeff vs. Trump University by allowing the countersuit by Trump University for defamation against Makaeff. Gonzalez's decision was unanimously overturned by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal on April 17, 2013.[citation needed]
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of California 1992–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of California 2005–2012 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
