On June 13, 2023, the Senate confirmed President Joe Biden’s nomination of Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Hernán D. Vera to serve as a federal district judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California.  Judge Vera will preside over matters in Los Angeles in the Court’s Western Division.  Judge Vera previously served as a Principal at Bird Marella in Los Angeles, where he focused his practice on complex civil litigation and class action defense. He also counseled and advised clients on risk management in public matters where a problem-solving, community approach is essential to the success of the litigation. Prior to his time at Bird Marella, he served as President & Chief Executive Officer of Public Counsel, the nation’s largest pro bono, public interest law firm. He was the first Latino leader of the 40-year-old civil rights organization, which is based in Los Angeles. Judge Vera was a commercial litigator with the international firm of O’Melveny & Myers LLP, where he specialized in class actions. Judge Vera has also worked as an Education Staff Attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund and clerked for the Honorable Consuelo B. Marshall, U.S. District Court Judge for the Central District of California. He makes frequent media appearances on issues relating to access to justice, civil rights, and consumer protection. He was appointed to the SJI Board of Directors in 2010. Judge Vera received an A.B., with Distinction, from Stanford University, and his J.D. from the UCLA School of Law.