Reappointment of Part-Time United States Magistrate Judge Rita Coyne Federman

As stated in General Order No. 12-06, Rita Coyne Federman has been reappointed as a part-time Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California for a term of four years beginning on December 26, 2012, when her current term is scheduled to expire.  Her official duty station will continue to be Santa Barbara, California.

Judge Federman was originally appointed as a part-time Magistrate Judge for the Central District of California in 2004.  Prior to her appointment, she was a judicial staff attorney from 1999 to 2004 for the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, where she also served as Judge Pro Tempore, deciding matters upon the consent of the parties.  From 1991 to 1999, she was a staff attorney for the United States District Court for the Central District of California.  Prior to 1991, Judge Federman practiced general business and corporate law with Shearer, Lanctot, Walsh & Knorp in San Francisco.  She received her undergraduate degree from Boston College, and her law degree from California Western School of Law.

The Central District of California has 24 authorized full-time and one part-time Magistrate Judge positions.  The duties of Magistrate Judges include presiding over civil cases by consent of the parties and preliminary proceedings in criminal cases; the trial and disposition of misdemeanor cases; conducting discovery hearings, settlement conferences and various other pretrial hearings in civil cases; and other matters as may be assigned.