Former UC Law SF Prof. Eumi Lee Confirmed as U.S. District Judge
Former UC Law SF Clinical Professor Eumi Lee was confirmed by the U.S. Senate this week to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of California.
Eumi K. Lee, who trained hundreds of future attorneys while serving as a clinical professor at UC Law SF for 13 years, became one of the newest members of the federal bench this week.
The U.S. Senate President Joe Biden鈥檚 nomination of her to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in 50-49 vote on Wednesday.
Lee was a clinical professor at UC Law SF from 2005 to 2018 and served as Co-Founder and Co-Director of the law school鈥檚 Institute for Criminal Justice from 2010 to 2012.
Professor , who co-taught the and Seminar with Lee, described her as a caring, demanding, and hard-working professor who cared deeply about preparing students for the real world. He listed qualities that he believes will serve her well as a federal judge.
鈥淏eing fair minded and even-handed are fundamental to her approach,鈥 Piomelli said. 鈥淪he cares about making sure everyone who appears before her understands what鈥檚 going on and feels respected.鈥
Lee left UC Law SF in 2018 when she was by former California Gov. Jerry Brown to serve as a judge on the Alameda County Superior Court, making her the first Korean American to hold such a position.
Lee helped introduce the clean-slate practice to the Individual Representation Clinic, allowing law students to help people clear criminal records that constitute barriers to obtaining jobs, housing, and other opportunities.
鈥淪he was a very thoughtful and purposeful teacher,鈥 said Professor Gail Silverstein, Associate Dean of Experiential Learning and Co-Director of the at UC Law SF. 鈥淪he used a variety of different exercises to engage with students鈥 different learning styles.鈥
Lee also served as a mentor to many law students, including Anna Kirsch 鈥11, who now serves as Deputy Attorney General in the of the . Kirsch said the clinic taught by Lee was the most transformative experience of her law school career and sparked her interest in labor law and workers鈥 rights issues.
鈥淪he taught me how to do a direct and cross-examination, how to draft discovery-related motions, and prepare for court appearances,鈥 Kirsch said. 鈥淏ut she also taught me how to practice client-centered representation and how to be an ethical practitioner.鈥
After law school, Lee continued to serve as a mentor to Kirsch, steering her toward postgraduate opportunities that allowed her to develop additional skills and experience in the field of workers鈥 rights.
鈥淚鈥檓 very grateful to have her in my life,鈥 Kirsch said. 鈥淪he is a good friend and mentor, and I think a lot of students feel that way.鈥
Lee earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C. and her bachelor鈥檚 degree from Pomona College in Southern California. Before teaching at UC Law SF, she clerked for a federal judge in the Western District of Tennessee and for a circuit judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She previously served as an ethics trainer for three California utility companies from 2009 to 2012; as counsel and consultant at Gonzalez & Leigh from 2006 to 2012; and as an associate at Keker Van Nest from 2002 to 2005.
In a Wednesday, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla of California described Lee as the proud daughter of parents who survived the Korean War before immigrating to the United States and as a dedicated public servant who has mentored women, people of color, and those typically underrepresented in the legal profession.
鈥淚n private practice, in the classroom, and in the court room, she鈥檚 demonstrated the intellect and objectivity needed to serve the Northern District with distinction,鈥 Padilla said.