David Estudillo

{{Infobox judge

| honorific-prefix =

| name = David Estudillo

| image = DGE Photo.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| office = Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington

| term_start = September 3, 2022

| term_end =

| predecessor = Ricardo S. Martinez

| successor =

| office1 = Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington

| term_start1 = October 7, 2021

| term_end1 =

| appointer1 = Joe Biden

| predecessor1 = Ronald B. Leighton

| successor1 =

| office2 = Judge of the Grant County Superior Court

| term_start2 = September 1, 2015

| term_end2 = October 7, 2021

| appointer2 = Jay Inslee

| predecessor2 = Evan Sperline

| successor2 = Anna Gigliotti

| pronunciation =

| birth_name = David Gonzalez Estudillo

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1973}}

| birth_place = {{nowrap|Sunnyside, Washington, U.S.}}

| death_date =

| death_place =

| death_cause =

| education = University of Washington (BA, JD)

| footnotes =

}}

David Gonzalez Estudillo (born 1973)[https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Estudillo%20SJQ%20Public%20Final.pdf United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: David Estudillo] is an American lawyer serving as the chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. He is a former Washington state court judge.

Early life and education

Estudillo was born and raised in Sunnyside, Washington, where his parents owned a small grocery store.{{Cite web |date=August 31, 2015 |title=Superior Court judge earned his way through life |url=https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2015/aug/31/superior-court-judge-earned-his-way-through-2/ |access-date=April 29, 2021 |website=Columbia Basin Herald |language=en}} He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington in 1996 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law in 1999.[https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/29/president-biden-announces-second-slate-of-judicial-nominees/ "President Biden Announces Second Slate of Judicial Nominees", White House, April 29, 2021] {{PD-notice}}

Career

After graduating law school, Estudillo began his legal career at Jeffers, Danielson, Sonn & Aylward in Wenatchee. From 2002 to 2005, he was an attorney with Scheer and Zehnder in the Seattle office, where his practice focused on complex civil litigation. From 2005 to 2015, he was a solo practitioner at Estudillo Law Firm PLLC, where he focused on immigration law and general civil litigation. The firm represented detained and non-detained clients before the Executive Office for Immigration Review and Board of Immigration Appeals. He also represented people seeking immigration benefits through applications filed with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.{{cite news |last1=Escobar |first1=Ted |title=Superior Court judge earned his way through life |url=https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2015/aug/31/superior-court-judge-earned-his-way-through-2/ |access-date=15 December 2021 |work=Columbia Basin Herald |date=31 August 2015 |language=en}} In 2015, he was appointed by Washington Governor Jay Inslee to serve as a judge for the Grant County Superior Court.{{Cite press release |title=Inslee appoints David. G. Estudillo to Grant County Superior Court |date=August 19, 2015 |url=https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-appoints-david-g-estudillo-grant-county-superior-court |access-date=April 29, 2021}} and served until his elevation as a federal judge in 2021.

= Federal judicial service =

File:David G. Estudillo.jpg

On April 29, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Estudillo to serve as a United States district judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington to the seat vacated by Judge Ronald B. Leighton, who assumed senior status on February 28, 2019.[https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/29/nominations-sent-to-the-senate-15/ "Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, April 29, 2021] On June 9, 2021, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/06/02/2021/nominations United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for June 9, 2021] On July 15, 2021, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 15–7 vote.{{Cite web|title=Results of Executive Business Meeting – July 15, 2021|date=July 15, 2021|publisher=Senate Judiciary Committee|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Results%20of%20Executive%20Business%20Meeting%20July%2015.pdf|access-date=November 25, 2022}} On September 14, 2021, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 52–42 vote.{{Cite web|date=September 14, 2021|title=On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: David G. Estudillo to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Washington)|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1171/vote_117_1_00361.htm|access-date=February 17, 2022|website=United States Senate}} Later that day, his nomination was confirmed by a 54–41 vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=117&session=1&vote=00362|title=On the Nomination (Confirmation: David G. Estudillo, of Washington, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Washington)|date=September 14, 2021|website=United States Senate|access-date=September 14, 2021}} He received his judicial commission on October 7, 2021.{{FJC Bio|nid=10719696|inline=yes}} He was sworn in on October 15, 2021.{{Cite web|date=October 20, 2021|title= THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON WELCOMES DISTRICT JUDGE DAVID G. ESTUDILLO|url=https://www.wawd.uscourts.gov/sites/wawd/files/Judge%20Estudillo%20announcement.pdf|website=wawd.uscourts.gov|access-date=May 27, 2023}} He became the chief judge on September 3, 2022, succeeding Ricardo S. Martinez.{{Cite web|title=New Chief District Judge in the Western District of Washington|url=https://www.wawd.uscourts.gov/news/new-chief-district-judge-western-district-washington|access-date=September 6, 2022|website=www.wawd.uscourts.gov}}