Southern District of California / Appointed 1980 / Served to 2001

Earl Ben Gilliam

Judge, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California

Appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1980 and confirmed by voice vote, Earl Ben Gilliam was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. He earned a law degree from University of California Hastings College of the Law (now UC College of the Law, San Francisco) in 1957. Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, August 19, 1980

Appointed by
Jimmy Carter, 1980
Confirmed
by voice vote
Education
San Diego State College 1953 · University of California Hastings College of the Law (now UC College of the Law, San Francisco) 1957
Federal judicial service
YearCourtAppointed byVote
1980Southern District of CaliforniaCarter (D)voice

A per-senator roll-call isn’t shown for this confirmation. The Senate’s recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989; many confirmations (especially before then, and most to the lower courts) were by voice vote or unanimous consent.

Education
Sources

20 years on the Southern District of California. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).