Sandra Segal Ikuta
Encyclopedia
Sandra Segal Ikuta is a federal judge
on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
.
in 1978. She had previously attended Stanford University
for two years before moving to University of California, Berkeley
to complete her undergraduate degree. She received her J.D.
from UCLA School of Law
in 1988. While there she worked on the law review. She went on to clerk for Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski
and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
. She became an associate of the law firm
O’Melveny & Myers in 1990 and went on to become a partner in 1997. At the time of her nomination she had been general counsel of the California Resources Agency
since January 2004.
on February 8, 2006 to fill the seat vacated by Judge James R. Browning, who took senior status
in 2000. Previously, Carolyn Kuhl
had been nominated to that position, but she had been filibustered by Senate Democrats for a year until December 2004 when she withdrew her nomination. Ikuta was voted unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 26, 2006, and confirmed 81–0 by the U.S. Senate on June 19, 2006. She was the sixth judge appointed by Bush to the Ninth Circuit.
Ikuta now works alongside her former boss, Judge Alex Kozinski
, for whom she clerked from 1988–1989. He testified on her behalf at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on her nomination.
Ikuta's first published opinion on the Ninth Circuit was United States v. Baldrich, issued December 27, 2006.
Federal judge
Federal judges are judges appointed by a federal level of government as opposed to the state / provincial / local level.-Brazil:In Brazil, federal judges of first instance are chosen exclusively by public contest...
on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
.
Background
Ikuta received a master's in journalism from Columbia UniversityColumbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1978. She had previously attended Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
for two years before moving to University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
to complete her undergraduate degree. She received her J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from UCLA School of Law
UCLA School of Law
The UCLA School of Law is the law school of the University of California, Los Angeles. It has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1950. It joined the Association of American Law Schools in 1952.- History :...
in 1988. While there she worked on the law review. She went on to clerk for Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski
Alex Kozinski
Alex Kozinski is Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, an essayist, and a judicial commentator.-Biography:...
and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
. She became an associate of the law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
O’Melveny & Myers in 1990 and went on to become a partner in 1997. At the time of her nomination she had been general counsel of the California Resources Agency
California Resources Agency
The California Natural Resources Agency is a state cabinet-level agency in the government of California. The institution and jurisdiction of the Natural Resources Agency is provided for in California Government Code sections 12800 and 12805, et seq...
since January 2004.
Nomination and confirmation
She was nominated by President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on February 8, 2006 to fill the seat vacated by Judge James R. Browning, who took senior status
Senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...
in 2000. Previously, Carolyn Kuhl
Carolyn Kuhl
Carolyn Barbara Kuhl is a judge on the Superior Court of California for the County of Los Angeles and a former nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri.-Background:...
had been nominated to that position, but she had been filibustered by Senate Democrats for a year until December 2004 when she withdrew her nomination. Ikuta was voted unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 26, 2006, and confirmed 81–0 by the U.S. Senate on June 19, 2006. She was the sixth judge appointed by Bush to the Ninth Circuit.
Ikuta now works alongside her former boss, Judge Alex Kozinski
Alex Kozinski
Alex Kozinski is Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, an essayist, and a judicial commentator.-Biography:...
, for whom she clerked from 1988–1989. He testified on her behalf at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on her nomination.
Ikuta's first published opinion on the Ninth Circuit was United States v. Baldrich, issued December 27, 2006.
External links
- Attorney Sandra S. Ikuta Nominated to Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals – February 9, 2006
- Ikuta's Resume – from the Department of JusticeUnited States Department of JusticeThe United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
Office of Legal PolicyOffice of Legal PolicyThe Office of Legal Policy is a division within the United States Department of Justice which describes itself as the "focal point for the development and coordination of Departmental policy." In addition to rendering legal advice to the United States Attorney General and subordinate offices within... - United States v. Baldrich (first precedential opinion authored by Ikuta)