Asian Pacific American Federal Judges

PHOTO	NAME AND COURT	APPOINTED
	Circuit Court of Appeals
(Wikimedia)	Honorable Denny Chin Second Circuit Court of Appeals Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse 500 Pearl Street New York, NY 10007-1312 Phone: (212) 857-8500 Fax: (212) 805-7906	Clinton 1994 (SDNY) Obama 2010 (2nd Cir.)
(JABA site)	Honorable A. Wallace Tashima (Senior Status) U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Richard H. Chambers Court of Appeals Building 125 South Grand Avenue Pasadena, CA 91105-1652 Phone: (626) 229-7373 Fax: (626) 229-7457	Carter 1980 (District Court); Clinton 1996 (Ninth Circuit)
	California
	Northern District of California
	Honorable Lucy H. Koh U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California 280 South 1st Street San Jose, CA 95113 408-535-5363	Obama 2010
	Honorable Edward Chen, Magistrate Judge U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Phillip Burton United States Courthouse 450 Golden Gate Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102 Phone: (415) 522-4050 Fax: (415) 522-2140	2001
	Honorable Donna Ryu, Magistrate Judge U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California 1301 Clay Street Oakland, CA 94612-5212 510-637-3530	2010
	Eastern District of California
	Honorable Anthony W. Ishii U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California 5554 United States Courthouse 1130 O Street Fresno, CA 93721 Phone: (559) 498-7341 Fax: (559) 498-3936	Clinton 1997
	Central District of California
(NAPABA)	Honorable Dolly M. Gee U.S. District Court for the Central District of California United States Courthouse 312 North Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Phone: 213-894-5452	Obama 2009
Photo Not Available	Honorable George Herbert King U.S. District Court for the Central District of California 670 Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and Courthouse 255 East Temple Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Phone: (213) 894-5766 Fax: (213) 894-3334	Clinton 1995
(SWU Law)	Honorable Ronald S.W. Lew (Senior Status) U.S. District Court for the Central District of California United States Courthouse 312 North Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Phone: (213) 894-3508 Fax: (213) 894-6860	Reagan 1987
	Honorable Jacqueline H. Nguyen U.S. District Court for the Central District of California United States Courthouse 1600 Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Phone: 213-894-2554	Obama 2009
Photo Not Available	Honorable George H. Wu U.S. District Court for the Central District of California United States Courthouse 312 North Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Phone: 213-894-0191	Bush 2007
(CHSSC)	Honorable Jennifer T. Lum, Magistrate Judge U.S. District Court for the Central District of California United States Courthouse 312 North Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Phone: (213) 894-5154 Fax: (213) 894-5173	2001
Photo Not Available	Honorable Arthur Nakazato, Magistrate Judge U.S. District Court for the Central District of California Ronald Reagan Federal Building and United States Courthouse 411 West Fourth Street Santa Ana, CA 92701-4516 Phone: (714) 338-4714 Fax: (714) 338-4719	NA
(ZeeNews)	Honorable Vijay (Jay) Gandhi, Magistrate Judge U.S. District Court for the Central District of California United States Courthouse 312 North Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012	2010
	Southern District of California
	Honorable Dana Makato Sabraw U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California Edward J. Schwartz United States Courthouse 940 Front Street San Diego, CA 92101 Phone: (619) 557-6262 Fax: (619) 702-9942	Bush 2003
	Colorado
Photo Not Available	Honorable Michael J. Watanabe, Magistrate Judge U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado Alfred A. Arraj United States Courthouse, Annex 901 19th Street Denver, CO 80294-3589 Phone: (303) 844-2403 Fax: (303) 335-2199
	Guam (U.S. Territory)
	Honorable Joaquin V.E. Manibusan Jr., Magistrate Judge U.S. District Court, Guam United States Courthouse, 3rd Floor 520 West Soledad Avenue Hagatna, GU 96910-4950 Fax: (303) 335-2199	Appointed 2004 (formerly on Guam Superior Court)
	Hawaii
	Honorable Susan Oki Mollway U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii C-409 Prince Kuhio Federal Building 300 Ala Moana Boulevard Honolulu, HI 96850 Phone: (808) 541-1720 Fax: (808) 541-1724	Clinton 1998
(Star Bulletin)	Honorable Kevin S. C. Chang, Magistrate Judge U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii C-209 Prince Kuhio Federal Building 300 Ala Moana Boulevard Honolulu, HI 96850-0209 Phone: (808) 541-1308 Fax: (808) 541-3519	1993
(Star Bulletin)	Honorable Leslie E. Kobayashi, Magistrate Judge U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii C-353 Prince Kuhio Federal Building 300 Ala Moana Boulevard Honolulu, HI 96850-0353 Phone: (808) 541-1331 Fax: (808) 541-1386
	Illinois
(UIowa site)	Honorable Young B. Kim, Magistrate Judge U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse 219 South Dearborn Street Chicago, IL 60604 312) 435-5670	2010
	Kentucky
	Honorable Amul R. Thapar U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky US District Court House 310 S. Main Street, Suite 444 London, KY 40741 Phone: (606) 877-7966	Bush 2007
	New York
(Pacific Citizen)	Honorable Kiyo A. Matsumoto U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York United States Courthouse 225 Cadman Plaza East Brooklyn, NY 11201 Phone: (718) 613-2180 Fax: (718) 613-2185	2004 (Magistrate); Bush 2008 (Article III)
Photo Not Available	Honorable Marilyn D. Go, Magistrate Judge U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York United States Courthouse 225 Cadman Plaza East, Suite 1214S Brooklyn, NY 11201 Phone: (718) 613-2550 Fax: (718) 613-2555	1993
	Tennessee
(NCVA Online)	Honorable Tu M. Pham, Magistrate Judge U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee 359 Clifford Davis Federal Building 167 North Main Street Memphis, TN 38103 Phone: (901) 495-1351 Fax: (901) 495-1325	2003
	Texas
	Honorable Brenda T. Rhoades U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Texas Wells Fargo Bank Building, Suite 300A 660 North Central Expressway Plano, TX 75074 Phone: (972) 509-1240 Fax: (972) 509-1245	2003

The Federal Judiciary: An Explanation

The chart to the left identifies all current Asian Pacific American judges, both active and inactive (on senior status), as well as magistrate judges, as of July 2010. As to active Article III judges who are Asian Pacific American, there are:

• One judge in the Northern District of California
• One judge in the federal circuit courts of appeal
• Zero justices on the U.S. Supreme Court

Currently there are just eleven active APA federal court judges appointed pursuant to Article III, out of approximately 810 active federal judges, or a little over one percent. They are:

• Judge Denny B. Chin (2nd Circuit)


• Judge Anthony W. Ishii (E.D. Cal.)


• Judge Dolly M. Gee (C.D. Cal.)


• Judge George Herbert King (C.D. Cal.)


• Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen (C.D. Cal.)


• Judge George H. Wu (C.D. Cal.)


• Judge Lucy H. Koh (N.D. Cal.)


• Judge Dana Makato Sabraw (S.D. Cal.)


• Judge Kiyo Ann Matsumoto (E.D.N.Y.)


• Judge Susan Oki Mollway (D. Hawaii)


• Judge Amul R. Thapar (E.D. Kentucky)

There are no APA judges on the U.S. Supreme Court and just one active judge on the federal circuit courts of appeals with the confirmation of Judge Denny Chin in 2010 to the Second Circuit (Note: Judge A. Wallace Tashima of the Ninth Circuit is on senior status, as is Judge Ronald Lew of the Central District of California).

In the Northern District of California, which includes San Franciso, Santa Clara and Alameda counties, there had never been an Asian Pacific American judge appointed under Article III until Judge Lucy Koh in 2010.

"Article III" refers to those judges appointed pursuant to Article III of the Constitution, which include the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, federal appellate court judges, and federal district court judges. For an explanation, click here.

"Senior status" refers to judges who have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts. When a federal judge is at least 65 years old and has served at least 15 years, with one less year of service required for each additional year of age, they are allowed to assume senior status. Senior judges do not occupy seats, rather, their seats become vacant, and new full-time judges may be appointed to fill their spots.


See a list of Selected APA California Judges.


Return to APAs In The Judiciary Resource Page