Luis Felipe Restrepo

Luis Felipe Restrepo serves as an active United States Circuit Judge on the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, a position he has held since early 2016. Prior to his elevation to the appellate bench, he was a district judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and earlier a federal magistrate judge. In addition to his judicial duties, Restrepo is a member of the United States Sentencing Commission, where he presently holds the role of Vice Chair. His career spans private practice, public defense, academia, and federal service, reflecting extensive experience in both criminal and civil law.

Early life and legal career

Luis Felipe Restrepo was born in 1959 in Medellín, Colombia, and spent his formative years in Northern Virginia after his family relocated to the United States. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen on September 7 1993. Restrepo pursued higher education at the University of Pennsylvania, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1981. He continued his studies at Tulane Law School, where he earned a Juris Doctor in 1986.

Following law school, Restrepo entered public defense work. From 1987 to 1990 he served as an Assistant Defender with the Defender Association of Philadelphia, representing indigent clients in state criminal matters. He then moved to the federal level, acting as an Assistant Federal Defender for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania between 1990 and 1993, where he handled a range of federal criminal cases.

In 1993 Restrepo transitioned to private practice, becoming a partner at the Philadelphia firm Krasner & Restrepo. The partnership lasted until 2006 and involved litigation across civil and criminal domains. Concurrent with his practice, Restrepo began a long‑standing involvement in legal education. He was appointed an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at Temple University Beasley School of Law in 1993, a position he continues to hold. From 1997 through 2009 he also taught trial advocacy as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Restrepo’s first judicial appointment came in 2006 when he was selected as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. In that capacity, he presided over a variety of criminal and civil matters, managing pre‑trial proceedings, conducting evidentiary hearings, and issuing reports and recommendations on dispositive motions. He remained a magistrate judge until his elevation to the district court in 2013.

Federal appellate service

President Barack Obama nominated Restrepo to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on November 27 2012, filling the vacancy created when Judge Anita B. Brody assumed senior status. The Senate returned the nomination on January 2 2013 due to the adjournment of that session, and President Obama renominated Restrepo the following day. The Senate confirmed his appointment by voice vote on June 17 2013, and he received his commission two days later. During his tenure as a district judge, Restrepo adjudicated both civil and criminal cases within the Eastern District, contributing to the development of federal jurisprudence in that jurisdiction.

The next step in Restrepo’s judicial career was his appointment to the appellate bench. On November 12 2014 President Obama nominated him to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, filling the seat vacated by Judge Anthony Joseph Scirica, who had taken senior status. After an initial return of the nomination on December 16 2014, Restrepo was renominated on January 7 2015. He appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a hearing on June 10 2015, and his nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote on July 9 2015. The full Senate confirmed him on January 11 2016 with an 82–6 vote, making him President Obama’s final appellate judge confirmed during that administration. Restrepo received his commission on January 13 2016 and has served continuously as a circuit judge since that date.

In addition to his judicial responsibilities, Restrepo was appointed to the United States Sentencing Commission, an independent agency tasked with establishing federal sentencing guidelines. President Donald Trump first nominated him for a commissioner position on March 1 2018; the nomination was returned in early 2019 and subsequently renewed by the same president on August 12 2020. The subsequent administration continued the process: President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Restrepo on May 11 2022, submitting the formal nomination the following day to fill the vacancy left by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. After a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on June 8 2022 and a voice‑vote report out of committee on July 21 2022, the Senate confirmed Restrepo’s appointment by voice vote on August 4 2022. He now serves as Vice Chair of the Commission.

Jurisprudence and legacy

Judge Restrepo’s body of work reflects a blend of trial experience, appellate analysis, and policy involvement. His early career in public defense provided direct exposure to the rights of accused individuals and the practical realities of criminal procedure, perspectives that inform his approach to both district‑level adjudication and appellate review. As a magistrate judge, he managed diverse pre‑trial matters, gaining familiarity with procedural safeguards and evidentiary standards that continue to shape his decisions on the Third Circuit.

On the appellate bench, Restrepo participates in panels that interpret federal statutes, constitutional provisions, and regulatory schemes across the Third Circuit’s jurisdiction, which includes Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Virgin Islands. While specific opinions are not enumerated here, his contributions align with the court’s role in ensuring uniform application of law and resolving conflicts among district courts. His voting record, as reflected in the Senate confirmation vote, indicates bipartisan support for his qualifications.

Restrepo’s service on the United States Sentencing Commission adds a national policy dimension to his judicial profile. The Commission’s work involves reviewing empirical data, proposing amendments to sentencing guidelines, and issuing advisory opinions that affect federal sentencing practices. As Vice Chair, Restrepo helps guide deliberations on issues such as guideline revisions, drug sentencing reforms, and efforts to address disparities in sentencing outcomes.

Beyond the bench, Restrepo maintains a longstanding commitment to legal education through his adjunct professorships at Temple University and previously at the University of Pennsylvania. By teaching trial advocacy, he imparts practical courtroom skills to law students, reinforcing the connection between academic instruction and real‑world litigation. This educational role complements his judicial duties by fostering the next generation of lawyers.

Restrepo’s career also holds significance within the broader context of diversity on the federal judiciary. As a Hispanic and Latino American jurist who was born abroad and later naturalized as a U.S. citizen, he contributes to the representation of minority groups in high judicial offices. His presence on the Third Circuit and the Sentencing Commission underscores ongoing efforts to reflect the nation’s demographic composition within its institutions.

In sum, Luis Felipe Restrepo’s professional trajectory—from public defender and private practitioner to magistrate judge, district judge, circuit judge, and senior member of a key sentencing body—exemplifies a multifaceted legal career grounded in both advocacy and adjudication. His ongoing service continues to shape federal jurisprudence, sentencing policy, and legal education across multiple fronts.