Judge Phyllis Hamilton will be the speaker at Santa Clara University School of Law’s Commencement. Law School Commencement is Saturday, May 17th at 9:30 a.m. in the Mission Gardens.
Judge Hamilton serves as United States District Judge for the Northern District of California, San Francisco, California. She was born in 1952 in Jacksonville, Illinois.
She served as Deputy Public Defender at the California State Public Defender’s Office in San Francisco (1976-1980), Administrative Judge for the United States Merit Systems Protection Board in San Francisco(1980-1985), Court Commissioner of the Oakland Municipal Court (1985-1991), and United States Magistrate Judge (1991-2000).
Hamilton, at the relatively young age of 33, was appointed as a court commissioner in Alameda County. Within six years, she was appointed as United States Magistrate Judge in San Francisco, handling preliminary criminal matters, discovery and civil trials with the consent of the parties. She held that post until she was appointed by President William Jefferson Clinton as United States District Judge for the Northern District of California. She has developed a well deserved reputation for her fair and efficient handling of myriad cases, both civil and criminal, coming to her court. Judge Hamilton received a School of Law Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in 2004.
Judge Hamilton continues to participate in mentoring programs for high school and law students as well as training and continuing education programs for lawyers. She serves on various committees for both the Northern District and the Ninth Circuit. She is a member of the National Association of Women Judges and the Charles Houston Bar Association.
Judge Hamilton received her B.A., from Stanford University and her J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law.
Santa Clara Law, founded in 1912 on the site of California’s oldest operating higher-education institution, is dedicated to educating lawyers who lead with a commitment to excellence, ethics, and social justice. One of the nation’s most diverse law schools, Santa Clara Law offers its 975 students an academically rigorous program, including graduate degrees in international law and intellectual property law; combined J.D./MBA degree; and certificates in intellectual property law, international law, and public interest and social justice law. Santa Clara Law is located in the world-class business center of Silicon Valley, and is distinguished nationally for our top-ranked program in intellectual property. For more information, see http://www.scu.edu/sclaw/fall-2007.
