On December 18, 2023, the San Diego FBA hosted "How to Apply to be a U.S. Magistrate Judge.” Pursuant to the Southern District of California’s General Order 756, there is an open U.S. Magistrate Judge position due to Magistrate Judge Bernard G. Skomal's retirement in April 2024.
Carolina Bravo Karimi, Chair of the Merit Selection Panel, and Joseph S. Leventhal, Member of the Merit Selection Panel, provided an overview of the panel’s duties and the application review process for the magistrate judge position. United States Magistrate Judges Allison H. Goddard and Steve B. Chu shared their experiences regarding the application process and discussed the duties of their position. FBA Past President Dylan Aste moderated the panel.
The panelists answered several audience questions and provided invaluable guidance on how to be a competitive applicant. Written materials are available here and the recording is below. Additionally, the Chapter's January 2022 webinar on How to Apply to be a U.S. Magistrate Judge is available here.