Rita Lin | |
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| Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of California | |
| Assumed office October 4, 2023 | |
| Appointed by | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Edward M. Chen |
| Judge of theSan Francisco County Superior Court | |
| In office June 27, 2018 – October 4, 2023 | |
| Appointed by | Jerry Brown |
| Preceded by | Ksenia Tsenin |
| Succeeded by | Brian J. Stretch[1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rita Faye Lin 1978 (age 46–47) Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic[2] |
| Education | Harvard University (BA,JD) |
Rita Faye Lin (born 1978)[3] is an American lawyer who is serving as aUnited States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of California. She previously served as an associate judge of theSan Francisco County Superior Court.
Lin was born in 1978 inOakland, California, to aTaiwanese American family.[4] She earned aBachelor of Arts,magna cum laude, fromHarvard University in 2000 and aJuris Doctor fromHarvard Law School in 2003.[5]
From 2003 to 2004, Lin served as alaw clerk for JudgeSandra Lynch of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. She joinedMorrison & Foerster inSan Francisco as an associate in 2004 and later became a partner at the firm. From 2014 to 2018, she served as anassistant United States attorney for the Northern District of California. She was appointed to serve as a judge of theSan Francisco County Superior Court by GovernorJerry Brown in 2018.[6][7] Lin is anadjunct professor of law at theUniversity of California, Hastings College of the Law,[8] where in the fall 2021 semester she co-taught a course oncriminal procedure.[3]
Lin workedpro bono as co-counsel against theDefense of Marriage Act, which was declaredunconstitutional on February 22, 2012, in U.S. District Court in California.[9]
On July 29, 2022, PresidentJoe Biden announced his intent to nominate Lin to serve as aUnited States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of California.[5] On August 1, 2022, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Lin to the seat vacated by JudgeEdward M. Chen, who assumedsenior status on May 17, 2022.[10] On November 30, 2022, a hearing on her nomination was held before theSenate Judiciary Committee.[11]
On January 3, 2023, her nomination was returned to the President underRule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of theUnited States Senate. She was renominated on January 23, 2023.[12] On February 9, 2023, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–9 vote.[13] On September 19, 2023, the Senate invokedcloture on her nomination by a 52–45 vote.[14] Later that day, her nomination was confirmed by a 52–45 vote.[15] She received her judicial commission on October 4, 2023.[16]Lin is the secondAsian Pacific American woman—and firstChinese American woman—to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.[7]
Lin has ahearing disability being deaf in her right ear and partially deaf in her left.[17][11][18]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.| Legal offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of California 2023–present | Incumbent |