On April 25, 2022, President Biden nominated Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr. to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to the seat being vacated by Judge M. Margaret McKeown, who is taking senior status.
Judge Mendoza has served on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington since 2014. He was the first Latino judge to serve in the Eastern District. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Mendoza worked in criminal law; he briefly served as a prosecutor before focusing on criminal defense work as a solo practitioner and then president of a small law firm. When confirmed to the Ninth Circuit on September 14, 2022, Judge Mendoza became the first Latino judge to ever serve on the Ninth Circuit from Washington state.
