Holly Aiyisha Thomas

Holly Aiyisha Thomas is an American jurist who serves as a United States circuit judge on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Appointed by President Joseph R. Biden in 2022, she became the first Black woman from California to sit on that federal appellate bench and the second Black woman ever to serve on the Ninth Circuit. Prior to her elevation to the federal judiciary, Thomas held a state trial‑court judgeship in Los Angeles County and accumulated extensive experience as a civil‑rights attorney in both public‑sector and nonprofit roles.

Early life and legal career

Thomas was born in 1979 in San Diego, California, to parents who did not attend college; her father worked as a bookkeeper and her mother as a school custodian. She pursued higher education at Stanford University, graduating with honors in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Following her undergraduate studies, Thomas spent a year working as a client advocate for the San Francisco Bar Association’s Volunteer Legal Services Program, providing assistance to individuals who could not afford private counsel.

She then attended Yale Law School, where she contributed to the editorial work of the Yale Law Journal and earned her Juris Doctor in 2004. Upon completing law school, Thomas clerked for Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2004 to 2005, gaining early exposure to federal appellate practice.

From 2005 to 2010, Thomas served as an assistant counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. During her first year there she was a Liman Fellow, a program that supports public‑interest lawyers. In this capacity she worked on civil‑rights litigation and advocacy, contributing to the organization’s broader mission of combating racial discrimination.

Thomas moved to the Department of Justice in 2010, where she served as an appellate attorney in the Civil Rights Division until 2015. Her work involved representing the United States in appeals concerning civil‑rights statutes and constitutional claims. In 2015 she joined the office of the solicitor general of New York as special counsel, a role she held through 2016. While in that position she authored briefs filed in federal district courts in North Carolina and Texas challenging the constitutionality of North Carolina’s Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, which restricted restroom access based on birth‑certificate sex designation.

After her tenure in New York, Thomas returned to California, becoming deputy director of executive programs at the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing from 2016 to 2018. In that capacity she helped oversee enforcement of state anti‑discrimination laws and managed initiatives aimed at promoting fair employment practices.

In November 2018 Governor Jerry Brown appointed Thomas to the Los Angeles County Superior Court. She served as a trial judge on that court until her elevation to the federal appellate bench in early 2022, handling a broad docket that included civil, criminal, and family law matters within one of the nation’s largest county courts.

Federal appellate service

President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Thomas to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on September 8, 2021. The formal nomination was transmitted to the Senate on September 20, 2021, designating her as the successor to Judge William A. Fletcher, who had indicated he would assume senior status upon confirmation of a replacement.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Thomas’s nomination on October 20, 2021. During that session Republican senators raised questions about her prior civil‑rights advocacy work. The committee was unable to report the nomination favorably; an 11–11 vote on December 2, 2021 resulted in a deadlock.

The full Senate subsequently discharged the nomination from further committee consideration by a vote of 50–46 on December 16, 2021. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed a cloture motion the following day, and the Senate invoked cloture on December 18, 2021 with a 42–25 vote, limiting further debate.

Thomas’s confirmation vote took place on January 20, 2022, when the Senate approved her appointment by a margin of 48–40. She received her judicial commission four days later, on January 24, 2022, and officially entered active service on the Ninth Circuit.

Her appointment marked two historic milestones for the court: she became the first Black woman from California to serve on the Ninth Circuit and only the second Black woman ever appointed to that circuit, following Judge Johnnie B. Rawlinson. Shortly after her confirmation, media reports noted that Thomas was among a list of potential candidates mentioned by legal observers as a possible nominee for a future vacancy on the United States Supreme Court after Justice Stephen Breyer announced his intent to retire.

Jurisprudence and legacy

Although Thomas has served on the Ninth Circuit for only a few years, her professional background in civil‑rights litigation and state enforcement of anti‑discrimination law informs her perspective on appellate issues. In her written opinions and oral arguments she draws upon experience gained from representing both governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations dedicated to equal protection under the law.

Her tenure on the federal bench has contributed to the diversification of the judiciary, enhancing representation for historically underrepresented groups within the Ninth Circuit’s composition. Observers note that her presence on a court covering a vast geographic area—including California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska—offers a broader range of lived experiences among the panel of judges who decide significant federal questions affecting millions of residents.

Thomas’s earlier service as a state trial judge also provides her with practical insight into how appellate rulings impact lower courts and litigants. The combination of trial‑court experience and extensive civil‑rights advocacy positions her to address complex legal issues that intersect constitutional doctrine, statutory interpretation, and administrative law.

While the body of her published opinions is still developing, scholars anticipate that her contributions will reflect a careful balance between adherence to precedent and thoughtful consideration of evolving civil‑rights concerns. Her role in shaping Ninth Circuit jurisprudence will continue to be evaluated as she participates in panels addressing matters ranging from immigration and environmental regulation to voting rights and federal employment law.

Beyond casework, Thomas’s career trajectory serves as an example for aspiring attorneys from modest backgrounds. Raised by parents who did not attend college, her academic achievements at Stanford and Yale, followed by a series of public‑service positions, illustrate the pathways through which dedication to civil‑rights advocacy can lead to high judicial office. Her appointment underscores the importance of mentorship, clerkship opportunities, and professional networks in advancing qualified candidates to the federal bench.

In sum, Judge Holly Aiyisha Thomas’s service on the Ninth Circuit reflects both her personal commitment to equal justice and the broader institutional goal of fostering a judiciary that mirrors the diversity of the nation it serves. Her ongoing work will shape legal discourse across a wide array of issues, contributing to the development of federal appellate law for years to come.