Ana de Alba one more vote away from becoming first Latina on California Eastern District Court

Fresno County Superior Court Judge Ana Isabel de Alba could be adding a new chapter to her story sometime in June after the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee advanced her nomination to a federal judgeship within two minutes on Thursday (May 26).

“The American Bar Association has rated Judge de Alba qualified. She enjoys the strong support of two of colleagues on the committee, Sens. (Dianne) Feinstein and (Alex) Padilla,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, chair of the committee.

Durbin got no response when he asked if anyone on the committee wanted to comment before taking a vote.

The vote was 12-10 for her confirmation to move forward. De Alba, who grew up in a poor farmworker family in South Dos Palos, would be the first Latina to ever serve on the Eastern District of California if she is confirmed by the Senate.

Richmond University law professor Carl Tobias believes de Alba will be easily confirmed by the full Senate “because she is well qualified, had a great hearing and has strong support from the Senators.”

“The takeaway is that de Alba is in great shape because you don’t want the senators to be criticizing you, and nobody did,” said Tobias. “And then Durbin, the chair, was very strong in saying that she should get a very strong approval vote.”

Tobias, who closely tracks federal judicial nominees, expects de Alba to get about 60 votes in the Senate.

“She should be in great shape. And all she needs now is a floor vote. So I think she will be confirmed,” he said.

De Alba’s uplifting story (she slept on the floor in a sleeping bag until she got her first bed at age 15) has helped her throughout the confirmation process, said Tobias.

“I think she’s a very impressive person,” he said. “She tells this really incredible story about her life and growing up and working in the fields; you know, sleeping on a sleeping back.”

Tobias said “it’s a great story that she tells. And, it’s true.”

“Hard work is what people admire,” he said. “I think she’ll be a great judge.”

De Alba, who was nominated for the post by President Joe Biden in January, was appointed to her Fresno County post by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2018.

De Alba, who graduated from Dos Palos High School (1998), earned her undergraduate and law school degree at UC Berkeley.

She was a partner at Lang Richet & Patch (2013-18) where she focused primarily on employment, business, tort and construction litigation.

Esta historia fue publicada originalmente el 26 de mayo de 2022, 2:37 p. m..