Senate Confirms Superior Court Judge Stanley Blumenfeld, Jr. as United States District Judge for the Central District of California

On September 15, 2020, the United States Senate confirmed President Donald J. Trump’s nomination of Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stanley Blumenfeld, Jr. to serve as a federal district judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California.  Judge Blumenfeld will preside over matters in Los Angeles in the Court’s Western Division.

Judge Blumenfeld has served as a Superior Court Judge for Los Angeles County since his appointment by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006.  Judge Blumenfeld has presided over criminal, civil, and other state law matters, including over 200 trials.  Additionally, from December 2015 to June 2016, he sat by designation on the California Court of Appeal for the Second District, Division 7.  At Superior Court, he served as supervising site judge of the Alhambra Courthouse from 2012 to 2013, and, since 2016, has served as an assistant supervising judge of the Pasadena, Alhambra, Glendale, and Burbank courthouses.

In addition to his duties on the bench, Judge Blumenfeld has served as an Adjunct Professor at USC Gould School of Law since 2009, and at Southwestern Law School from 2011 to 2014.  He has taught courses in criminal law and procedure, remedies, and trial advocacy.  He has also been active in various bar associations, judge associations, and court committees.

Prior to his appointment as a Superior Court Judge, from 1993 to 2006, Judge Blumenfeld worked at O’Melveny & Myers where he became a partner in 1998.  While at O’Melveny, he worked as trial and appellate counsel, primarily in commercial, white collar, environmental, and healthcare litigation.  He also served as co-chair of the healthcare practice and environmental law groups.  Judge Blumenfeld also worked on several pro bono matters during his time at O’Melveny, including serving as co-general counsel for the California Governor’s Advisory Panel on Hate Groups from 1999 to 2000.

From 1989 to 1993, before joining O’Melveny, Judge Blumenfeld served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California.  He was in the Civil Division where he represented federal agencies in trial and appellate courts on a wide range of matters, including statutory and constitutional challenges, federal tort claims, contract law, civil forfeiture, immigration law, administrative law, federal employment law, and environmental law.  After leaving the United States Attorney’s Office, he served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney from 1993 to 1996.

Judge Blumenfeld received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Binghamton University, a Master of Arts degree from New York University, and his Juris Doctor degree from UCLA School of Law.  After graduating from law school, Judge Blumenfeld served as a law clerk to the Honorable Cynthia Holcomb Hall on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Judge Blumenfeld fills the vacancy that arose when former District Judge Audrey B. Collins retired in August 2014. Including the appointment of Judge Blumenfeld, the Central District of California has 28 authorized Article III judgeships, seven of which are currently unfilled.   The Central District of California is comprised of the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo.  It serves more than 19.6 million people, nearly half the population of the State of California. 

KIRY K. GRAY
DISTRICT COURT EXECUTIVE/CLERK OF COURT