{ "id": "epwqqvgcs5", "slug": "william-h-orrick-iii", "title": "William H. Orrick III", "updated": "2026-10-15", "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-n-to-p", "label": "Surnames N to P", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-n-to-p" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-n-to-p", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Surnames N to P", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-n-to-p", "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" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-n-to-p", "label": "Surnames N to P", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-n-to-p" } ] } ], "excerpt": "William H. Orrick III, also known as William Horsley Orrick, III, is an American jurist serving as a senior US district judge in Northern California since 2023.", "snippet": "William H. Orrick III, also known as William Horsley Orrick, III, is an American jurist serving as a senior US district judge in Northern California since 2023.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-n-to-p", "markdown": "# William H. Orrick III\n\nWilliam Horsley Orrick, III (born 1953) is an American jurist serving as a senior United States district judge of the [United States District Court for the Northern District of California](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-district-court-for-the-northern-district-of-california) since 2023.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201) He was appointed to the court by President Barack Obama, confirmed in 2013, and assumed senior status (semi-retired judge with reduced caseload) on May 20, 2023.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201) |\n| Appointed by | Barack Obama[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201) |\n| Confirmed | May 15, 2013, Senate vote 56 to 41[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201) • [2](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1130125) |\n| Senior status | May 20, 2023[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201) |\n| Born | 1953, San Francisco, CA[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201) |\n| Education | B.A., Yale University, 1976; J.D., Boston College Law School, 1979[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nOrrick was born in 1953 in San Francisco, California.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201) He received a [Bachelor of Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-arts) from Yale University in 1976 and a [Juris Doctor](https://www.edgepedia.org/juris-doctor) from Boston College Law School in 1979.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201)\n\n## Legal career\n\nOrrick began his legal career in 1979 as an attorney with the Georgia Legal Services Program in [Savannah, Georgia](https://www.edgepedia.org/savannah-georgia), where he served until 1984, including periods as acting managing attorney in 1981 and supervising attorney from 1982 to 1984.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201) He then entered private practice in San Francisco, California, from 1984 to 2009.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201)\n\nIn 2009, Orrick joined the Civil Division of the [United States Department of Justice](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-department-of-justice), serving as counselor from 2009 to 2010 and as deputy assistant attorney general from 2010 to 2013.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nOrrick was first nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on June 11, 2012, but no Senate vote was held on that nomination.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201) He was renominated on January 4, 2013.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201) The Senate confirmed him on May 15, 2013, by a vote of 56 to 41.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201) • [2](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1130125) He received his commission on May 16, 2013.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201) He assumed senior status on May 20, 2023.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201)\n\nIn January 2023, Orrick announced that he would take senior status and that, after a unanimous vote of the judges of the district, his seat would move from San Francisco to the court's San Jose division, according to his letter to the White House.[3](https://www.law.com/therecorder/2023/01/20/judge-william-orrick-to-take-senior-status-moving-judicial-seat-to-san-jose/)\n\n## Chamber practices\n\nOrrick's standing orders provide for the use of Zoom as the default for case management conferences and law and motion hearings in civil cases, with in-person appearances available on notice, while pre-trial conferences and evidentiary hearings are held in person.[4](https://cand.uscourts.gov/judges/who/orrick-william-h) In criminal cases, sentencing, change of plea, and evidentiary hearings are held in person, with Zoom appearances permitted only by stipulation for good cause on a case-by-case basis.[4](https://cand.uscourts.gov/judges/who/orrick-william-h) His standing orders also address courtesy copies of filings, including requirements for exhibits submitted in support of motions for temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, or summary judgment exceeding 100 pages.[4](https://cand.uscourts.gov/judges/who/orrick-william-h)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Federal Judicial Center, Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: William Horsley Orrick, III](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1394201)\n2. [Senate Roll Call Vote 113-0125, May 15, 2013](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1130125)\n3. [Judge William Orrick to Take Senior Status, Moving Judicial Seat to San Jose](https://www.law.com/therecorder/2023/01/20/judge-william-orrick-to-take-senior-status-moving-judicial-seat-to-san-jose/)\n4. [District Judge William H. Orrick, Northern District of California](https://cand.uscourts.gov/judges/who/orrick-william-h)\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 N to P*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 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/william-h-orrick-iii", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/william-h-orrick-iii.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": "\"William H. Orrick III\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/william-h-orrick-iii. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[William H. Orrick III](https://www.edgepedia.org/william-h-orrick-iii)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/william-h-orrick-iii](https://www.edgepedia.org/william-h-orrick-iii). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"William H. Orrick III\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/william-h-orrick-iii. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "William H. Orrick III, also known as William Horsley Orrick, III, is an American jurist serving as a senior US district judge in Northern California since 2023." }