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 "excerpt": "Michael Daly Hawkins (born 1945) is an American jurist serving as a senior judge of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals since 2010, appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994.",
 "snippet": "Michael Daly Hawkins (born 1945) is an American jurist serving as a senior judge of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals since 2010, appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994.",
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 "markdown": "# Michael D. Hawkins\n\nMichael Daly Hawkins (born 1945) is an American jurist serving as a senior judge of the [United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-court-of-appeals-for-the-ninth-circuit) since 2010.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup> He was appointed to the court by President Bill Clinton in 1994 and assumed senior status on February 12, 2010.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup>\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup> |\n| Appointed by | William J. Clinton<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup> |\n| Confirmed | September 14, 1994, by voice vote<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup> |\n| Senior status | February 12, 2010<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup> |\n| Born | 1945, Winslow, Arizona<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup> |\n| Education | B.A., Arizona State University, 1967; J.D., Arizona State University College of Law, 1970; LL.M., University of Virginia School of Law, 1998<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup> |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nHawkins was born in 1945 in [Winslow, Arizona](https://www.edgepedia.org/winslow-arizona).<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup> He received a [Bachelor of Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-arts) from [Arizona State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/arizona-state-university) in 1967 and a Juris Doctor from the Arizona State University College of Law, now the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, in 1970.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup> Later in his career, he earned a Master of Laws from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1998.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup>\n\n## Legal career\n\nHawkins served as a captain in the [United States Marine Corps](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-marine-corps) from 1970 to 1973.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup> He then practiced law privately in [Phoenix, Arizona](https://www.edgepedia.org/phoenix-arizona), from 1973 to 1976.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup> From 1977 to 1980 he served as United States attorney for the District of Arizona, during which he was the state's top federal prosecutor.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/3-judges-hearing-arguments-trumps-revised-travel-ban)</sup> He returned to private practice in Phoenix from 1980 to 1994.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup> Between 1985 and 1989 he also served as a special prosecutor for the [Navajo Nation](https://www.edgepedia.org/navajo-nation).<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup>\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident [Bill Clinton](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-clinton) nominated Hawkins to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on July 13, 1994, to a seat on that court.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup> The Senate confirmed him by voice vote on September 14, 1994, and he received his commission on September 15, 1994.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup> He served as an active judge until assuming senior status on February 12, 2010.<sup>[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)</sup>\n\n## Notable cases\n\nIn 2012, Hawkins joined the majority opinion written by Judge Stephen Reinhardt in the case striking down California's ban on same-sex marriage. The ruling was the first by a federal appeals court to hold that such bans were unconstitutional; the Supreme Court ruled similarly in a separate case three years later.<sup>[2](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/3-judges-hearing-arguments-trumps-revised-travel-ban)</sup>\n\nHawkins sat on the panel in State of Hawaii v. Trump, the Ninth Circuit case considering the revised travel ban issued by President Donald Trump, which was heard at a time when the Supreme Court could have taken up the issue if the appeals courts issued contradictory decisions.<sup>[2](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/3-judges-hearing-arguments-trumps-revised-travel-ban)</sup>\n\nAmong other cases, Hawkins sat on the panels in Brown v. Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, Krzesni v. Wellpinit School District, NetChoice, LLC v. Bonta, and United States v. Bryant.<sup>[3](https://benchlight.org/judges/michael-daly-hawkins)</sup> He authored the opinions in Ibarra-Perez v. United States and Ambrosio v. Progressive Preferred Insurance Company, and his authored opinions and dissents also include Lexington Insurance Company v. Cindy Smith, United States v. Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes, In Re: John Castleman, Sr. v. Dennis Burman, Montana Department of Revenue v. Timothy Blixseth, and American Diabetes Ass'n v. US Dept. of the Army.<sup>[3](https://benchlight.org/judges/michael-daly-hawkins)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: Michael Daly Hawkins](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1381956)\n2. [3 judges hearing arguments on Trump's revised travel ban](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/3-judges-hearing-arguments-trumps-revised-travel-ban)\n3. [Michael Daly Hawkins judge profile](https://benchlight.org/judges/michael-daly-hawkins)\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 courts of appeals judges › Surnames D to J*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 28, 2026; Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Sep 28, 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",
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 "credit": "\"Michael D. Hawkins\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-d-hawkins. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.",
 "credit_md": "\"[Michael D. Hawkins](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-d-hawkins)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-d-hawkins](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-d-hawkins). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).",
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 "speakable": "Michael Daly Hawkins is an American jurist serving as a senior judge of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals since 2010, appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994."
}