Shirley M. Hufstedler

Shirley Mount Hufstedler was born on August 24, 1925, in Denver, Colorado.

In terms of her education, she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) from the University of New Mexico in 1945. She then went on to obtain a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Stanford Law School in 1949. She was admitted to the State Bar in 1950.

Hufstedler has an extensive judicial experience. She served as a Judge for the Los Angeles Superior Court from September 28, 1961, to December 15, 1966, after being appointed by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Sr. She then became an Associate Justice for the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division 5, from December 15, 1966, to September 30, 1968. Her judicial career continued as a Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, from September 30, 1968, to December 5, 1979, following her appointment by President Lyndon Baines Johnson.

In addition to her judicial roles, Hufstedler has a rich professional background. She worked in private practice from 1950 to 1961. She then served as a Legal Consultant for Attorney General Stanley Mosk from 1960 to 1961. She was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the U.S. Department of Education, where she served from 1979 to 1981. She was a Phleger Professor of Law at Stanford Law School in 1982. Later, she chaired the United States Commission on Immigration Reform from 1996 to 1997. She also held the position of U.S. Secretary of Education.