Latina Judicial Trailblazer Elevated to Largest Appellate Court

Ana de Alba has been elevated to the nation’s largest appellate court a little over a year after becoming the first Hispanic female trial judge in her California district.

De Alba, the daughter of farm workers who immigrated from Mexico, was confirmed on Monday, 48-43, to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

De Alba replaces Paul Watford, an Obama appointee who surprisingly resigned from the bench after 11 years to return to private practice. He’s with Wilson Sonsini’s litigation department.

“Judge de Alba is exceptionally well suited for appellate work,” wrote three judges she served with on ...