On November 7, 2024, the San Diego FBA held a Courtroom Conversation with U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie E. Torres. Eric Alden from Chula Vista’s City Attorney’s Office moderated the event.
Judge Torres shared with the attendees that she was inspired to become a lawyer when she wrote a middle school report on Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. She appreciated and related to what Justice O’Connor accomplished based on her humble beginnings, and that lit a fire in Judge Torres. She became the first person in her family to go to college.
Judge Torres is a graduate from Princeton University and Pepperdine Caruso School of Law. Upon graduation, she spent 12 years with Latham and Watkins practicing environmental law. She transferred from Latham and Watkins to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California (USAO) for the opportunity to engage in public service. She was motivated to continue using her civil litigation skills to serve the mission of the Department of Justice by obtaining a just outcome for all parties. She appreciated the autonomy she was granted as an Assistant U.S. Attorney to dictate trial strategy. At the USAO, she rose to the position of Deputy Chief of the Civil Division. Her favorite experience as an attorney was her first Ninth Circuit oral argument.
Judge Torres was appointed to the bench on December 8, 2023. Her path to the bench was not initially intentional. Early on, her goal was to become a well-rounded civil litigator. Some of her favorite organizations include the San Diego FBA and the Inns of Court. Her favorite event is FBA's annual Judith N. Keep Federal Civil Practice Seminar.
The best advice she received is that we all make mistakes but when you do make a mistake, recognize it and fix it. As for advice and tips on becoming a judge, Judge Torres recommends becoming a well-rounded attorney. In preparing herself to assume the bench, she observed criminal matters in court and took every opportunity to study and learn.
Judge Torres views her most important responsibility as providing a forum for people to express themselves and to feel like they had a fair chance to make their argument and be listened to. She treats everyone who appears in front of her with dignity and respect. As a judge, she also tries to be patient and thoughtful about her decisions because she remembers being in the shoes of every attorney appearing in front of her. She also tries to make things easier for practitioners by tailoring her chamber rules to exclude her least favorite aspects from her practice (no more joint discovery motions!).
As for advice for appearing in front of her, she recommends clearly articulating the relief that you’re seeking. Sometimes it’s hard for a judge to make a decision when its unclear what the parties want. For example, she requires a declaration for extensions articulating good cause. Without that showing, she will deny the request without prejudice to permit the parties to articulate the grounds for the extension. For criminal motions to modify conditions for release, she suggests getting those motions filed well in advance of proposed travel to give her time to review the motion. When you attend an ENE or settlement conference, she would like the parties to have a concrete offer or counteroffer and to be prepared to answer questions about facts and law.
Beyond the bench, Judge Torres enjoys community service with her dog Cosmo and paddle boarding at the Bay.