Michelle Taryn Friedland

Michelle Taryn Friedland (born 1972) is an active United States circuit judge on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Appointed by President Barack Obama in 2014, she has served on the federal appellate bench for more than a decade, handling a broad array of civil and criminal matters that arise within the nation’s largest circuit. Her career combines extensive litigation experience in private practice, academic teaching, and a record of public‑service pro bono work.

Early life and legal career

Friedland was born in Berkeley, California, and spent her secondary education at The Pingry School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. She entered Stanford University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in biology in 1995 and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Following her undergraduate studies, Friedland received a Fulbright Scholarship that enabled her to study philosophy at Wolfson College, Oxford, broadening her academic perspective before returning to California for legal training.

She attended Stanford Law School, graduating in 2000 with honors as a member of the Order of the Coif and ranking second in her class. Upon completing law school, Friedland served as a clerk for Judge David Tatel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, gaining insight into appellate procedure at the federal level. She subsequently clerked for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor of the United States Supreme Court, an experience that provided exposure to the nation’s highest court.

After her clerkships, Friedland returned to academia as a lecturer at Stanford Law School for two years, contributing to the education of future lawyers. In 2004 she entered private practice with Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP in San Francisco, beginning as an associate and achieving partnership in January 2010. As a litigation partner, she handled complex cases before both state and federal trial courts and appellate tribunals, including appearances before the United States Supreme Court. Her client portfolio encompassed corporate entities confronting antitrust, tax, patent, copyright, and consumer class‑action disputes, as well as the University of California in matters involving constitutional questions.

Friedland maintained an active pro bono practice throughout her time at Munger, Tolles & Olson. The State Bar of California recognized a firm team that included her with the 2013 President’s Pro Bono Service Award for their contributions to underserved communities. In addition to her legal work, she served as an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, teaching a course focused on constitutional issues in higher education.

On June 17 2000, Friedland married Daniel Kelly, and the couple has remained together since that date.

Federal appellate service

President Barack Obama nominated Friedland to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on August 1 2013. The nomination was intended to fill the vacancy created when Judge Raymond C. Fisher assumed senior status on March 31 2013. The Senate Judiciary Committee reported her nomination favorably by a vote of 14–3 on January 16 2014, reflecting bipartisan consideration of her qualifications.

The full Senate invoked cloture on Friedland’s nomination on April 10 2014 with a vote of 56‑41, allowing the confirmation process to proceed. She was confirmed later that month on April 28 2014 by a 51‑40 vote and received her judicial commission the following day, April 29 2014. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor administered Friedland’s oath of office at a formal investiture ceremony held on June 13 2014 in the James R. Browning United States Court of Appeals Building in San Francisco. At 41 years old, she was among the youngest judges ever appointed to the Ninth Circuit, ranking fourth in age at the time of her elevation.

Since joining the bench, Friedland has participated in numerous panels addressing a wide spectrum of legal issues that affect the nine‑state jurisdiction of the circuit, ranging from immigration and environmental regulation to municipal authority and civil rights. Her service continues as an active member of the appellate court, contributing to the development of federal jurisprudence within one of the nation’s most influential circuits.

Jurisprudence and legacy

Judge Friedland’s judicial record includes several high‑profile decisions that have attracted public attention and shaped legal discourse. In February 2017, she sat on a three‑judge panel with Judge William Canby that denied the Trump administration’s request for an administrative stay of a district court’s temporary restraining order in *State of Washington v. Trump*. The panel’s refusal to stay the injunction allowed lower‑court restrictions on Executive Order 13769 to remain in effect while the case proceeded, and the oral arguments were broadcast nationally. The episode entered popular culture when Saturday Night Live parodied Friedland’s role with actress Vanessa Bayer.

In July 2019, Friedland again joined a panel—this time with Judge Richard R. Clifton—that upheld a district court order halting portions of President Donald Trump’s border wall construction. Although the Ninth Circuit affirmed the lower‑court injunction, the Supreme Court later reversed the decision by a 5‑3 vote on July 26 2019, temporarily blocking construction while allowing funding to be set aside.

Environmental law has also featured prominently in Friedland’s docket. On August 16 2021, she authored an opinion with Judges Ronald Gould and Jill Otake that affirmed an Environmental Protection Agency determination that the Sacketts’ property contained wetlands protected under the Clean Water Act. The Ninth Circuit’s ruling was subsequently overturned by the Supreme Court in *Sackett v. EPA* (2023), which narrowed the scope of federal jurisdiction over certain wetland areas.

Later that year, Friedland authored a decision in *Garcia v. City of Los Angeles* (September 2 2021) holding that the municipal government could not seize and discard “bulky items” belonging to homeless individuals, reinforcing protections for personal property even amid public‑policy concerns about sanitation and public space.

In January 2024, Friedland wrote a dissent from an en banc denial in *California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley*. The case involved the city’s ban on natural gas installations in new buildings; the original panel had overturned that restriction. Friedland’s dissent—joined by Chief Judge Mary Murguia and several colleagues—marked the first time in her nearly ten‑year tenure that she publicly opposed a denial of en banc review, signaling a willingness to challenge procedural outcomes within the court.

Beyond specific rulings, Friedland’s legacy includes her contributions to legal education and pro bono advocacy. Her adjunct teaching at the University of Virginia Law School reflects an ongoing commitment to shaping future jurists, while her earlier recognition for pro bono service underscores a career-long dedication to access to justice. As a member of the Ninth Circuit, she continues to influence the development of federal law across a diverse and populous region, balancing rigorous legal analysis with the practical implications of appellate decisions.

Through a combination of scholarly background, extensive litigation experience, and a record of public‑service involvement, Judge Michelle T. Friedland has established herself as a prominent figure within the federal judiciary, contributing to the interpretation and application of United States law in ways that affect both the courts and the broader community they serve.