Richard Seeborg

{{Infobox judge

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| image = Richard Seeborg (cropped).jpg

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| caption = Seeborg in 2019

| office = Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California

| term_start = February 1, 2021

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| predecessor = Phyllis J. Hamilton

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| office1 = Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California

| term_start1 = January 4, 2010

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| appointer1 = Barack Obama

| predecessor1 = Maxine M. Chesney

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| office2 = Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California

| term_start2 = February 9, 2001

| term_end2 = January 4, 2010

| successor2 = Donna Ryu

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| birth_name = Richard Gus Seeborg

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|11|04}}

| birth_place = Landstuhl, West Germany

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| education = Yale University (BA)
Columbia University (JD)

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Richard Gus Seeborg{{cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/RichardSeeborg-PublicQuestionnaire.pdf|title=Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees|work=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|date=September 23, 2009}} (born November 4, 1956) is the chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. He formerly served as a United States magistrate judge in the same district.

Early life and education

Seeborg was born in 1956 in Landstuhl town, Kaiserslautern district, Rhineland-Palatinate state, Germany.{{Cite web |title=Chief District Judge Richard Seeborg |url=https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/judges/seeborg-richard-rs/ |website=United States District Court Northern District of California |access-date=September 13, 2024 |archive-date=September 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240907070557/https://cand.uscourts.gov/judges/seeborg-richard-rs/ |url-status=live }}

Seeborg received a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude with a major in history from Yale University in May 1978 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 1981.{{cite web|url=http://www.legalspan.com/catalog2/faculty.asp?UserID=20011211147985115059++++++&OwnerColor=#A55A9C|title=Hon. Richard G. Seeborg|website=www.legalspan.com|access-date=May 24, 2017|archive-date=October 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026222656/http://www.legalspan.com/catalog2/faculty.asp?UserID=20011211147985115059++++++&OwnerColor=#A55A9C|url-status=live}}

From 1981 to 1982, Seeborg served as a law clerk to Judge John H. Pratt of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.{{FJC Bio|nid=1392981|inline=yes}}

Career

In 1982, Seeborg joined the San Francisco law firm of Morrison & Foerster as an associate. He became a partner with the firm in 1987. In 1991, Seeborg left Morrison & Foerster to become an assistant United States attorney for the Northern District of California in San Jose, California. He served in that post until 1998, when he returned to Morrison & Foerster, working as a partner and focusing on a litigation practice in the fields of securities, intellectual property, and general commercial matters.

= Federal judicial service =

On February 9, 2001, Seeborg became a United States magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

On August 7, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Seeborg to be a United States district judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.[https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the_press_office/President-Obama-Nominates-Edward-Milton-Chen-Dolly-Gee-and-Richard-Seeborg-to-Serve-on-the-District-Court-Bench President Obama Nominates Edward Milton Chen, Dolly Gee and Richard Seeborg to Serve on the District Court Bench] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090901061740/http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/President-Obama-Nominates-Edward-Milton-Chen-Dolly-Gee-and-Richard-Seeborg-to-Serve-on-the-District-Court-Bench/ |date=September 1, 2009 }}, whitehouse.gov (August 7, 2009). On October 15, 2009, the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary voted to send Seeborg's nomination to the full Senate.{{cite news |first=Howard |last=Mintz |title=Senate Judiciary Committee votes to confirm two Bay Area federal judge nominees |work=Contra Costa Times |date=October 17, 2009 }} The Senate confirmed Seeborg by unanimous consent on December 24, 2009. He received his commission on January 4, 2010. He became chief judge on February 1, 2021, after Phyllis J. Hamilton assumed senior status.{{Cite press release |title=Chief District Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton Assumes Senior Status |url=https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/notices/chief-district-judge-phyllis-j-hamilton-assumes-senior-status/ |access-date=February 1, 2021 |archive-date=January 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128221812/https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/notices/chief-district-judge-phyllis-j-hamilton-assumes-senior-status/ |url-status=live }}

= Notable rulings =

On March 6, 2019, Seeborg ruled that United States Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross could not add a question about citizenship to the 2020 United States Census.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/wilbur-ross-broke-law-violated-constitution-in-census-decision-judge-rules/2019/03/06/9d7962aa-404c-11e9-a0d3-1210e58a94cf_story.html |title=Wilbur Ross broke law, violated Constitution in census decision, judge rules |last=Barbash |first=Fred |date=March 6, 2019 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en |access-date=March 8, 2019 |archive-date=February 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226053030/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/wilbur-ross-broke-law-violated-constitution-in-census-decision-judge-rules/2019/03/06/9d7962aa-404c-11e9-a0d3-1210e58a94cf_story.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/06/politics/census-citizenship-question-ruling/index.html |title=Second federal court strikes citizenship question from 2020 census |last=Wallace |first=Gregory |date=March 6, 2019 |website=CNN |access-date=March 8, 2019}}

On April 8, 2019, Seeborg ruled that non-Mexican asylum seekers did not have to stay in Mexico while awaiting their court proceedings.{{Cite web |url=https://politi.co/2OXjbtu |title=Judge halts Trump administration's 'remain in Mexico' policy |last=Hesson |first=Ted |date=April 8, 2019 |website=POLITICO |language=en |access-date=April 10, 2019}}