Paul J. Watford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Watford
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | |
| In office May 22, 2012 – May 31, 2023 |
|
| Appointed by | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Pamela Ann Rymer |
| Succeeded by | Ana de Alba |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Paul Jeffrey Watford
August 25, 1967 Garden Grove, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley (BA) University of California, Los Angeles (JD) |
Paul Jeffrey Watford (born August 25, 1967) is an American lawyer. He served as a judge on a special court called the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2012 to 2023. This court handles appeals from lower courts in several western states.
In 2016, some news reports suggested that Paul Watford might be chosen to join the U.S. Supreme Court. This is the highest court in the country. After leaving his judgeship in 2023, Watford became a partner at a law firm. He is currently a partner at King & Spalding in Los Angeles, where he works on business lawsuits.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Paul Watford was born in 1967 in Garden Grove, California. He went to the University of California, Berkeley, and earned a degree in 1989.
After college, he worked helping people find lawyers for a few years. Then, he went to the UCLA School of Law. While there, he was an editor for the UCLA Law Review, a legal magazine. He finished law school in 1994.
Career as a Lawyer
After law school, Paul Watford worked for two important judges. First, he was a law clerk for Judge Alex Kozinski on the Ninth Circuit Court from 1994 to 1995. A law clerk helps a judge with research and writing.
Then, he worked for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the U.S. Supreme Court from 1995 to 1996. He was the only African American law clerk Justice Ginsburg hired during her 27 years on the Supreme Court.
In 1996, Watford joined a law firm called Munger, Tolles & Olson. From 1997 to 2000, he worked as a prosecutor for the U.S. government. He handled many federal criminal cases, including white-collar crimes, which are non-violent crimes often involving money.
He later returned to Munger, Tolles & Olson in 2001 and became a partner in 2003. As a partner, he focused on appellate litigation. This means he argued cases in higher courts, trying to get decisions from lower courts changed. He also helped prepare many legal documents for the Supreme Court.
Paul Watford has been very involved in the American Bar Association, which is a group for lawyers. He also taught a class on writing legal opinions at the University of Southern California's Gould School of Law from 2007 to 2009. Since 2012, he has helped a non-profit group that provides free legal help to people who cannot afford it. He also became a trustee for the Norton Simon Museum in 2019.
Becoming a Federal Judge
On October 17, 2011, President Barack Obama chose Paul Watford to be a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He was nominated to fill a seat left empty by Judge Pamela Ann Rymer, who had passed away.
A group of lawyers called the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary gave Watford the highest possible rating, calling him "well-qualified." The Senate Judiciary Committee held a meeting about his nomination. On May 21, 2012, the Senate voted to confirm him as a judge. He officially started his job on May 22, 2012.
Paul Watford left his position as a judge on the Ninth Circuit on May 31, 2023. He then returned to working as a lawyer in private practice. He joined Wilson Sonsini as a partner in Los Angeles. In February 2025, he joined the Business Litigation team at King & Spalding as a partner in their Los Angeles office.
Important Decisions as a Judge
- Watford wrote the main decision for the Ninth Circuit in a case called City of Los Angeles v. Patel (2014). In this case, the court decided that a Los Angeles city rule was against the law. The rule allowed police to inspect hotel guest lists without permission or a search warrant. Watford wrote that this rule went against the Fourth Amendment, which protects people from unreasonable searches. The U.S. Supreme Court later agreed with this decision.
- On November 15, 2021, Watford disagreed with a decision made by two other judges. They had dismissed a lawsuit filed by a man whose mother died while in police custody.
Considered for the Supreme Court
In 2012, several news groups mentioned Paul Watford as someone President Barack Obama might choose for the Supreme Court. After Justice Antonin Scalia passed away in 2016, Watford even met with President Obama to be considered for the open position.
See Also
