Tuesday, April 26, 2011
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Kronstadt Sworn in as U.S. District Court Judge
By a MetNews Staff Writer
John A. Kronstadt, formerly a Los Angeles Superior Court judge, was sworn in yesterday as the newest judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
He was confirmed by the Senate April 12, by a vote of 96-0, to succeed the late Judge Florence-Marie Cooper. His chambers will be located at the Edward R. Roybal courthouse, the court said in a release.
Kronstadt had presided over criminal, civil, and family law matters since his appointment to the Superior Court by then-Gov. Gray Davis in 2002. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he spent 24 years in private practice.
He was a partner at Arnold & Porter LLP in Century City from 2000 until he received his judicial appointment, and at Blanc Williams Johnston & Kronstadt from 1985 to 2000, and specialized in complex civil litigation. Kronstadt began his law practice in the Washington, D.C. office of Arnold & Porter, where he was a partner from 1984 to 1985 and an associate from 1978 to 1983.
From 1976 to 1977, he was a law clerk to Judge William P. Gray of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. He is a 1976 graduate of Yale Law School and received an undergraduate degree in 1973 from Cornell University.
He has been active in the Los Angeles County Bar Association, which gave him an award as outstanding committee chair, and served on the board of the Constitutional Rights Foundation. He has also chaired the Superior Court’s Outreach Committee.
Kronstadt, who is married to Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Helen Bendix, was originally nominated in November, but no action was taken before the Senate adjourned for the year. The nomination was resubmitted in January.
One vacancy remains in the Central District, resulting from the resignation of Judge Stephen Larson in November 2009. Another vacancy will open up when Judge A. Howard Matz takes senior status in July.
Copyright 2011, Metropolitan News Company