September 7, 2023 - WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein (both D-Calif.) released the following statement after the White House announced that President Biden nominated Kirk Sherriff, the Chief of the Fresno and Bakersfield Offices of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District, to fill the vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California that will be created upon Judge Ana de Alba’s confirmation to the Ninth Circuit.

“We applaud President Biden’s nomination of Kirk Sherriff to serve the Eastern District of California. He has established deep roots in the Eastern District and has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to public service throughout his time with the Eastern District U.S. Attorney’s Office, where he gained both civil and criminal litigation experience. Sherriff has a strong reputation in the legal community for being fair, sharp, and incredibly hard-working, and we look forward to working with our colleagues to swiftly confirm his nomination.”

Kirk Sherriff: Nominee for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

Kirk Sherriff currently serves as the Chief of the Fresno and Bakersfield Offices of the Eastern District U.S. Attorney’s Office where he oversees federal prosecutions, manages four unit-chiefs, and supervises overall operations, including working with the courts, law enforcement, and community representatives. He is actively involved in investigations and litigation, focusing on fraud, tax evasion, embezzlement, and certain violent crimes. Sherriff spent five years in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District, focusing on forest fire cases, civil fraud, tort cases, and civil enforcement actions before moving to the Criminal Division. In both the divisions, Sherriff has litigated cases before both the Eastern District and the Ninth Circuit.

Sherriff previously worked as an associate in the Litigation Department of White & Case LLP in New York City and Paris, primarily focusing on arbitration and civil litigation. He also clerked for New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Deborah T. Poritz for one year before returning to private practice at White & Case for four more years. Sherriff received his J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he served as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Human Rights Journal and worked at the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, and he received his B.A. from Columbia University.
Source: Senator Alex Padilla