Morgan Christen

American judge (born 1961)

Morgan Brenda Christen (born December 5, 1961) is an American lawyer and jurist who serves as a U.S. circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit . She previously served as a state court judge on the Alaska Supreme Court from 2009 to 2012 and on the Alaska Superior Court from 2002 to 2009.

Early life, education, and legal career

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Christen was born in 1961 in Chehalis, Washington . She graduated from the University of Washington in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies. She then attended the Golden Gate University School of Law , graduating with a Juris Doctor in 1986. She is married to James Torgerson and has one child.

After graduating from law school, Christen was a law clerk to Alaska Superior Court judge Brian Shortell from 1986 to 1987. From 1987 to 2002, she was in private practice at the law firm Preston Gates & Ellis , becoming a partner in 1993.

Judicial career

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Alaska state judicial service

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Christen was a judge on the Alaska Superior Court from 2002 to 2009. In 2009, she was one of two candidates recommended by the seven-member Alaska Judicial Council to replace Justice Warren Matthews on the Alaska Supreme Court . Christen was opposed by anti-abortion advocacy groups due to her service as a Planned Parenthood board member in the mid-1990s.

Nonetheless, on March 4, 2009, Governor Sarah Palin selected Christen to fill the vacancy on the Alaska Supreme Court.

Federal judicial service

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On May 18, 2011, President Barack Obama nominated Christen to the seat on the Ninth Circuit vacated by Andrew Kleinfeld , who assumed senior status on June 12, 2010. On September 8, 2011, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported her nomination out of committee by a voice vote . The Senate confirmed Christen by a 95–3 vote on December 15, 2011. She received her commission on January 11, 2012 and maintains her chambers in Anchorage .

See also

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• List of first women lawyers and judges in Alaska

References

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 [United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees](https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Christen%20Senate%20Questionnaire%20Public%20Final.pdf)

 Sutton, Anne (March 8, 2009). ["Palin pick to be 2nd female on Alaska court"](http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/030809/sta_406743982.shtml)
. _Juneau Empire_. Associated Press. Retrieved 2010-07-26.

1. ↑ Williams, Carol J. "After 202-day delay, Senate confirms judge for appeals-court seat" . The Seattle Times. The Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 22, 2024.
2. ↑ "Judge Morgan Christen Welcomed to Ninth Circuit" . ca9.uscourts.gov. United States Courts for the Ninth Circuit. Retrieved 21 January 2024.

 Demer, Lisa (March 4, 2009). ["Palin bucks pressure in Supreme Court appointment"](http://www.adn.com/2009/03/04/711378/palin-bucks-pressure-in-supreme.html)
. _[Anchorage Daily News](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchorage_Daily_News "Anchorage Daily News")
_. Retrieved 2010-07-26.

1. ↑ "President Obama Nominates Justice Morgan Christen for the United States Court of Appeals" . White House Press Release. May 18, 2011.
2. ↑ "On the Nomination (Confirmation Morgan Christen, of Alaska, to be U.S. Circuit Judge)" .
3. ↑ Morgan Christen at the _Biographical Directory of Federal Judges _, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center .
4. ↑ "The Judges of this Court in Order of Seniority" . www.ca9.uscourts.gov. Retrieved 11 May 2022.

External links

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• Morgan Christen at the _Biographical Directory of Federal Judges _, a publication of the [Federal Judicial Center](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Judicial_Center "Federal Judicial Center"

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