{ "id": "epz73nx0jd", "slug": "dale-a-drozd", "title": "Dale A. Drozd", "updated": "2026-09-29", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law" }, { "id": "society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3", "label": "Article III judges (district and appellate)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-d-to-e", "label": "Surnames D to E", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-d-to-e" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Dale A. Drozd, also known as Dale Alan Drozd, is a United States district judge for the Eastern District of California, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2015.", "snippet": "Dale A. Drozd, also known as Dale Alan Drozd, is a United States district judge for the Eastern District of California, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2015.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-d-to-e", "markdown": "# Dale A. Drozd\n\nDale Alan Drozd (born 1955)[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California since 2015.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) He was appointed to the court by President Barack Obama.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) Before his district judgeship, he served as a magistrate judge of the same court from 1997 and as chief magistrate judge from 2011.[2](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2015/10/05/Drozd_Confirmed.pdf)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) |\n| Appointed by | Barack Obama[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) |\n| Confirmed | October 5, 2015, by a vote of 69 to 21[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) • [3](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1140274) |\n| Born | 1955 in Long Beach, California[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) |\n| Education | B.A., San Diego State University, 1977; J.D., University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, 1980[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nDrozd was born in 1955 in [Long Beach, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/long-beach-california).[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) He attended the [University of Southern California](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-southern-california) from 1973 to 1975.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) • [4](https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/12/president-obama-nominates-two-serve-united-states-district-courts) He earned his [Juris Doctor](https://www.edgepedia.org/juris-doctor) from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law in 1980, where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) • [4](https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/12/president-obama-nominates-two-serve-united-states-district-courts)\n\n## Legal career\n\nDrozd began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge Lawrence K. Karlton of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, serving from 1980 to 1982.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) • [4](https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/12/president-obama-nominates-two-serve-united-states-district-courts) He then engaged in private practice in San Francisco, California, from 1982 to 1985, working as an associate at Hallinan, Osterhoudt & Poplack.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) • [4](https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/12/president-obama-nominates-two-serve-united-states-district-courts) From 1986 to 1997, he practiced in [Sacramento, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/sacramento-california), as a partner at Blackmon, Drozd & Snellings, a firm formerly known as Blackmon & Drozd.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) • [4](https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/12/president-obama-nominates-two-serve-united-states-district-courts)\n\nIn 1997, Drozd became a [United States magistrate judge](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-magistrate-judge) for the Eastern District of California, and he served as the court's chief magistrate judge beginning in 2011.[2](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2015/10/05/Drozd_Confirmed.pdf) • [4](https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/12/president-obama-nominates-two-serve-united-states-district-courts)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nOn November 12, 2014, Drozd was nominated to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, but no Senate vote occurred on that nomination.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) President Obama renominated him on January 7, 2015.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) The Senate confirmed his nomination on October 5, 2015, by a vote of 69 to 21.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801) • [3](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1140274) He received his commission on November 2, 2015.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: Dale Alan Drozd](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394801)\n2. [Ninth Circuit: Judge Drozd Confirmed](https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/ce9/2015/10/05/Drozd_Confirmed.pdf)\n3. [Senate Roll Call Vote 114-0274](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1140274)\n4. [President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the United States District Courts](https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/12/president-obama-nominates-two-serve-united-states-district-courts)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States district court judges › Surnames D to E*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Sep 29, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/dale-a-drozd", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/dale-a-drozd.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Dale A. Drozd\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/dale-a-drozd. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Dale A. Drozd](https://www.edgepedia.org/dale-a-drozd)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/dale-a-drozd](https://www.edgepedia.org/dale-a-drozd). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Dale A. Drozd\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/dale-a-drozd. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Dale A. Drozd, also known as Dale Alan Drozd, is a United States district judge for the Eastern District of California, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2015." }