Edward M. Chen
Encyclopedia
Edward Milton Chen is a United States District Judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
. On May 10, 2011, the United States Senate confirmed Chen in a 56–42 vote. He received his judicial commission on May 12, 2011.
, Chen earned a bachelor's degree in 1975 from the University of California, Berkeley
and a law degree from Boalt Hall School of Law in 1979. After graduating law school, Chen served judicial clerkships for United States District Judge Charles Renfrew
from June 1979 until April 1980 and United States Circuit Judge James R. Browning from June 1981 until June 1982.
named Chen to an eight-year term as a
federal magistrate judge.
From 1982 until 1985, Chen served as an associate at the San Francisco law firm of Coblentz, Cahen, McCabe & Breyer. In September 1985, Chen became a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union
, specializing in language discrimination cases. He held that post until becoming a federal magistrate judge in 2001.
Chen served as a federal magistrate judge from 2001 until 2011.
nominated Chen to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
vacated by the resignation of Martin Jenkins
.
On October 15, 2009, the Senate Judiciary Committee
voted 12-7 in a party-line vote to send Chen's nomination to the full Senate.
On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Senate returned Chen's nomination to the president. Senator Feinstein in an interview published in the San Francisco Chronicle
on December 29, 2009 reiterated her support for Judge Chen and her hope that the President would renominate Judge Chen for the U.S. District Court. President Obama renominated Chen in January 2010, and the Senate Judiciary Committee approved his nomination on February 4, 2010. On August 5, 2010, the U.S. Senate again returned Chen's nomination for failure to confirm. President Obama renominated Chen to the seat on September 13, 2010 and again on January 5, 2011.
On May 10, 2011, Chen was confirmed in a 56–42 vote. He received his judicial commission on May 12, 2011.
reported that Republicans
had issues with the fact that judicial nominee Chen had previous connections to the American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU), asserting based on a second instance that this appeared to be a thread running through Obama's nominations. The Washington Times
asserted that judicial confirmation had become a traditional partisan
political battle for control of the courts and predicted that Chen would be confirmed.
United States District Court for the Northern District of California
The United States District Court for the Northern District of California is the federal United States district court whose jurisdiction comprises following counties of California: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San...
. On May 10, 2011, the United States Senate confirmed Chen in a 56–42 vote. He received his judicial commission on May 12, 2011.
Early life and education
Born and raised in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, Chen earned a bachelor's degree in 1975 from the 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...
and a law degree from Boalt Hall School of Law in 1979. After graduating law school, Chen served judicial clerkships for United States District Judge Charles Renfrew
Charles Byron Renfrew
Charles Byron Renfrew is a former United States federal judge.Born in Detroit, Michigan, Renfrew served in the United States Navy in the aftermath of World War II, from 1946 to 1948, then received an A.B. from Princeton University in 1952 and served in the United States Army from 1952 to 1953. He...
from June 1979 until April 1980 and United States Circuit Judge James R. Browning from June 1981 until June 1982.
Professional career
In April 2001, the judges on the United States District Court for the Northern District of CaliforniaUnited States District Court for the Northern District of California
The United States District Court for the Northern District of California is the federal United States district court whose jurisdiction comprises following counties of California: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San...
named Chen to an eight-year term as a
federal magistrate judge.
From 1982 until 1985, Chen served as an associate at the San Francisco law firm of Coblentz, Cahen, McCabe & Breyer. In September 1985, Chen became a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
, specializing in language discrimination cases. He held that post until becoming a federal magistrate judge in 2001.
Chen served as a federal magistrate judge from 2001 until 2011.
Federal judicial service
On August 7, 2009, President Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
nominated Chen to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
United States District Court for the Northern District of California
The United States District Court for the Northern District of California is the federal United States district court whose jurisdiction comprises following counties of California: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San...
vacated by the resignation of Martin Jenkins
Martin Jenkins
Martin J. Jenkins is a justice of the California Court of Appeal for the First District, located in San Francisco, and a former federal judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.-Early life:...
.
On October 15, 2009, the Senate Judiciary Committee
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
voted 12-7 in a party-line vote to send Chen's nomination to the full Senate.
On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Senate returned Chen's nomination to the president. Senator Feinstein in an interview published in the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
on December 29, 2009 reiterated her support for Judge Chen and her hope that the President would renominate Judge Chen for the U.S. District Court. President Obama renominated Chen in January 2010, and the Senate Judiciary Committee approved his nomination on February 4, 2010. On August 5, 2010, the U.S. Senate again returned Chen's nomination for failure to confirm. President Obama renominated Chen to the seat on September 13, 2010 and again on January 5, 2011.
On May 10, 2011, Chen was confirmed in a 56–42 vote. He received his judicial commission on May 12, 2011.
Issues with his judicial nomination
The Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported that Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
had issues with the fact that judicial nominee Chen had previous connections to the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
(ACLU), asserting based on a second instance that this appeared to be a thread running through Obama's nominations. The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
asserted that judicial confirmation had become a traditional partisan
Partisan (political)
In politics, a partisan is a committed member of a political party. In multi-party systems, the term is widely understood to carry a negative connotation - referring to those who wholly support their party's policies and are perhaps even reluctant to acknowledge correctness on the part of their...
political battle for control of the courts and predicted that Chen would be confirmed.