Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michelle Williams Court Joins Federal Bench in California
Court becomes the 212th federal judge confirmed by the Senate during Joe Biden's presidency.
The U.S. Senate today held a recorded vote to confirm one individual as an Article III federal judge. With this confirmation, 212 judges nominated by President Joe Biden have now been confirmed by the Senate. With today’s action, 165 of Biden’s judicial nominees have been approved for service on federal district courts.
In a 49-44 vote, Michelle Williams Court was confirmed as a Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. She is Biden’s ninth confirmation to the 28-person court, with three additional vacancies where the President’s two additional nominees are awaiting confirmation from the Senate. Notably, all of Biden’s nominees who have been commissioned to this court have been people of color.
Court assumes the Los Angeles-based seat previously held by Dale S. Fischer, who took senior status in May 2024. A nominee of President George W. Bush, Fischer served on this court from 2003 to 2024. Court was nominated to this seat on the federal judiciary by Biden in April 2024.
Court’s legal career began as an associate at Gilbert, Kelly, Crowley & Bennett from 1993 to 1994. She then worked as an attorney at the ACLU of Southern California from 1994 to 1995. That was followed by a stint as an associate at Litt & Marquez from 1995 to 1999 and then as an associate at Milberg, Weiss, Bershad, Hynes & Lerach from 2000 to 2002. From 2002 to 2012, she worked at Bet Tzedek Legal Services - including as Vice President and General Counsel from 2009 to 2012. And finally, she has been a Judge for the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles since 2012.