- Judge Kenly Kiya Kato was confirmed to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on November 7, 2023.
- Previously, she served as a federal Magistrate Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California from 2014.
- From 2004 to 2014, Kato was a solo practitioner, focusing on federal criminal defense, civil rights, and employment issues.
- From 1997 to 2003, Kato was a Deputy Federal Public Defender in the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Los Angeles.
- Upon confirmation, Judge Kato became the first woman who is a former public defender to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
- Judge Kato received her B.A. from UCLA in 1993 and her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1996. She clerked for Judge Robert Takasugi of the Central District of California.
Confirmed