Southern District of California / Appointed 1980 / Served to 2004

Judith Nelsen Keep

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

Appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1980 and confirmed by voice vote, Judith Nelsen Keep was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. She earned a law degree from San Diego School of Law (now University of San Diego School of Law) in 1970. Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, June 26, 1980

Appointed by
Jimmy Carter, 1980
Confirmed
by voice vote
Education
Scripps College 1966 · San Diego Law (now of San Diego School of Law) 1970
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

24 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).