Northern District of California / Appointed 1988 / Served to 2005
Fern M. Smith
Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
Appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 and confirmed by voice vote, Fern M. Smith was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. She earned a law degree from Stanford Law School in 1975. Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, July 26, 1988
- Appointed by
- Ronald Reagan, 1988
- Confirmed
- by voice vote
- Education
- Stanford 1972 · Stanford Law School 1975
- Succeeded
- Samuel Conti
Federal judicial service
| Year | Court | Appointed by | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Northern District of California · succeeded Samuel Conti | Reagan (R) | 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
| Foothill Community College | A.A. | 1970 |
| Stanford University | B.A. | 1972 |
| Stanford Law School | J.D. | 1975 |
Sources
16 years on the Northern District of California. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).