Judge Susan Graber - America’s Most Trusted Lawyers

Name: Susan Pia Graber
Current Role: Senior Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (federal appellate court)
Start of Senior Status: December 15, 2021
Political Party (if applicable): Democratic (widely reported)
Birth: July 5, 1949, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Career Overview

Judge Susan P. Graber was nominated by President Bill Clinton on July 30, 1997 to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She was confirmed by the Senate on March 17, 1998 and received her commission on March 19, 1998.
She assumed senior status on December 15, 2021, reducing her full-time caseload but continuing to hear appellate cases.

Law Firm Experience or Public Service

1972–1974: Assistant Attorney General, Legal Division, New Mexico Bureau of Revenue
1974–1975: Private practice, Santa Fe, New Mexico
1975–1978: Private practice, Cincinnati, Ohio
1978–1988: Private practice in Portland, Oregon (partner; specialized in employment law and civil litigation)
1988–1990: Presiding Judge, Oregon Court of Appeals (Department 3)
1990–1998: Associate Justice, Oregon Supreme Court
1998–present: Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (senior status since 2021)

Education and Early Life

Judge Graber was born in Oklahoma City and raised in the Midwest. She earned her B.A. from Wellesley College in 1969 and her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1972.
She began her career shortly after graduating from Yale, entering public service in New Mexico.

Major Cases and Actions

First woman from Oregon appointed to the Ninth Circuit.
Authored the majority opinion in Duncan v. Bonta (2021), upholding California’s ban on high-capacity gun magazines under the Second Amendment.
Served on numerous influential appellate panels addressing constitutional, administrative, and criminal law.
Known for concise, clear writing and a pragmatic judicial style.

Publications

Judge Graber has lectured and written on appellate practice, statutory interpretation, and judicial process.
She also chaired the American Bar Association’s Committee on Appellate Practice in 2000.

Public Image and Focus

Judge Graber is widely respected for her disciplined approach to law and her high standards of legal reasoning.
She has been described as one of the Ninth Circuit’s most prolific jurists, having authored thousands of opinions and dissents.
Her professional conduct and mentorship of clerks and young attorneys have been praised within the Oregon and federal legal communities.

Personal Life

Judge Graber is married to Bill June. She is a member of Congregation Beth Israel in Portland and has been active in civic and community work.
Outside of her judicial duties, she enjoys puzzles, Scrabble, and other intellectual hobbies.

Fast Facts

Born July 5, 1949 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
B.A., Wellesley College, 1969 (Phi Beta Kappa)
J.D., Yale Law School, 1972
Assistant Attorney General, New Mexico Bureau of Revenue, 1972–1974
Private practice in New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon, 1974–1988
Presiding Judge, Oregon Court of Appeals, 1988–1990
Associate Justice, Oregon Supreme Court, 1990–1998
Appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit by President Bill Clinton, confirmed 1998
Assumed senior status December 15, 2021
First woman from Oregon appointed to the Ninth Circuit