Albert Lee Stephens Sr. (January 25, 1874 – January 15, 1965) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1937 to 1965. Prior to that, he was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California and the Presiding Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Second District, Division Two.

Education and career

Born in State Line City, Indiana, Stephens

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

in 1899 and received a Bachelor of Laws from the

USC Gould School of Law The USC Gould School of Law, located in Los Angeles, California, is the law school of the University of Southern California. The oldest law school in the Southwestern United States, USC Law traces its beginnings to 1896 and became affiliated with ...

in 1903. He was in private practice of law in Los Angeles, California from 1899 to 1906. He was a Justice of the Peace in Los Angeles from 1906 to 1910. He was in private practice from 1910 to 1911. He was a civil service commissioner for State of California from 1911 to 1913. He was city attorney of Los Angeles from 1913 to 1919. He was in private practice from 1919 to 1920. He was a Judge of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County from 1919 to 1932. He was appointed by Governor James Rolph as an associate justice of the District Court of Appeal, succeeding

Ira F. Thompson Ira Francis Thompson (June 20, 1885 – August 4, 1937) was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of California from December 31, 1932, to August 4, 1937. Early years Born on a farm in Crawford County, Wisconsin, to James Franklin Thompson a ...

and serving from 1932 to 1933 and then serving as Presiding Justice of that court from 1933 to 1935.

Federal judicial service

Stephens was nominated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 21, 1935, to the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, to a new seat created by 49 Stat. 508. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 23, 1935, and received his commission on August 24, 1935. His service was terminated on June 21, 1937, due to his elevation to the Ninth Circuit. Stephens was nominated by President Roosevelt on June 8, 1937, to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, to a new seat created by 50 Stat. 64. He was confirmed by the Senate on June 15, 1937, and received his commission on June 18, 1937. He served as Chief Judge from 1957 to 1959 and as a member of the

Judicial Conference of the United States The Judicial Conference of the United States, formerly known as the Conference of Senior Circuit Judges, was created by the United States Congress in 1922 with the principal objective of framing policy guidelines for administration of judicial cour ...

from 1957 to 1958. He assumed senior status on January 25, 1961. His service was terminated on January 15, 1965, due to his death.

Family

Stephens's son, Albert Lee Stephens Jr., was also a federal judge in California.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, Albert Lee Sr. 1874 births 1965 deaths USC Gould School of Law alumni Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California United States district court judges appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit United States court of appeals judges appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law 19th-century American lawyers 20th-century American judges 20th-century American lawyers People from Warren County, Indiana Lawyers from Los Angeles Judges of the California Courts of Appeal

Education and career

Federal judicial service

Family

See also

References