David Estudillo

David Estudillo
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
Incumbent
Assumed office September 3, 2022
Preceded by	Ricardo S. Martinez
Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
Incumbent
Assumed office October 7, 2021
Appointed by	Joe Biden
Preceded by	Ronald B. Leighton
Judge of the Grant County Superior Court
In office September 1, 2015 – October 7, 2021
Appointed by	Jay Inslee
Preceded by	Evan Sperline
Succeeded by	Anna Gigliotti
Personal details
Born	David Gonzalez Estudillo 1973 (age 50–51) Sunnyside, Washington, U.S.
Education	University of Washington (BA, JD)

David Gonzalez Estudillo (born 1973)^[1] is an American lawyer serving as the chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. He is a former Washington state court judge.

Early life and education

Estudillo was born and raised in Sunnyside, Washington, where his parents owned a small grocery store.^[2] He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington in 1996 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law in 1999.^[3]

Career

After graduating law school, Estudillo began his legal career at Jeffers, Danielson, Sonn & Aylward in Wenatchee. From 2002 to 2005, he was an attorney with Scheer and Zehnder in the Seattle office, where his practice focused on complex civil litigation. From 2005 to 2015, he was a solo practitioner at Estudillo Law Firm PLLC, where he focused on immigration law and general civil litigation.^[3] The firm represented detained and non-detained clients before the Executive Office for Immigration Review and Board of Immigration Appeals. He also represented people seeking immigration benefits through applications filed with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.^[4] In 2015, he was appointed by Washington Governor Jay Inslee to serve as a judge for the Grant County Superior Court.^[5] and served until his elevation as a federal judge in 2021.

Federal judicial service

Estudillo during his hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee

On April 29, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Estudillo to serve as a United States district judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington to the seat vacated by Judge Ronald B. Leighton, who assumed senior status on February 28, 2019.^[6] On June 9, 2021, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.^[7] On July 15, 2021, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 15–7 vote.^[8] On September 14, 2021, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 52–42 vote.^[9] Later that day, his nomination was confirmed by a 54–41 vote.^[10] He received his judicial commission on October 7, 2021.^[11] He was sworn in on October 15, 2021.^[12] He became the chief judge on September 3, 2022, succeeding Ricardo S. Martinez.^[13]

See also

• List of Hispanic and Latino American jurists

References

1. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: David Estudillo
2. "Superior Court judge earned his way through life". Columbia Basin Herald. August 31, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
3. "President Biden Announces Second Slate of Judicial Nominees", White House, April 29, 2021 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
4. Escobar, Ted (31 August 2015). "Superior Court judge earned his way through life". Columbia Basin Herald. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
5. "Inslee appoints David. G. Estudillo to Grant County Superior Court" (Press release). August 19, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
6. "Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, April 29, 2021
7. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for June 9, 2021
8. "Results of Executive Business Meeting – July 15, 2021" (PDF). Senate Judiciary Committee. July 15, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
9. "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: David G. Estudillo to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Washington)". United States Senate. September 14, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
10. "On the Nomination (Confirmation: David G. Estudillo, of Washington, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Washington)". United States Senate. September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
11. David Estudillo at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
12. "THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON WELCOMES DISTRICT JUDGE DAVID G. ESTUDILLO" (PDF). wawd.uscourts.gov. October 20, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
13. "New Chief District Judge in the Western District of Washington". www.wawd.uscourts.gov. Retrieved September 6, 2022.

External links

• David Estudillo at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• David G. Estudillo at Ballotpedia

Legal offices
Preceded by Ronald B. Leighton	Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington 2021–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Ricardo S. Martinez	Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington 2022–present